


Brothers Forever

by GravityUniverse115



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Siblings, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brother Feels, Brotherhood, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Comfort/Angst, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Half-Siblings, Light Angst, Original Character(s), Protective Older Brothers, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Sibling Rivalry, Siblings, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:13:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25196008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GravityUniverse115/pseuds/GravityUniverse115
Summary: As Steven struggles more and more with his trauma and responsibilities, he decides to try to piece the time travel device back together to stop anything from happening
Comments: 29
Kudos: 99





	1. Chapter 1

Steven returned home from another long day at Little Homeschool. Who knew running a school for gems would be so difficult. He never expected it to take so much of his energy. He had to file stacks of papers, make sure everyone had the correct schedule, pass out homework, and so much more. His day was mostly wake up, go to the school, come home and grade papers, eat, then go to bed. This strict routine repeated every weekday for the whole year. And it was starting to show on his face. He was having consistent nightmares and haven't slept much. He trudged his way up the staircase, hunched over. His body was basically running on autopilot at this point. He didn't want to think about anything and just relax. He nonchalantly opened the door and flopped on the couch butt first

He leaned back in his seat and stared up at the blank ceiling. Steven became lost in his own thoughts and entered into a daze. His mind wandered and the memory of his last dream crept in. A image of his mother shattering gems and hurting the people he loves. His heart started beating faster and his stomach was in knots. He felt like he had to vomit but tried his best not to. He used the techniques that Connie taught him and took slow deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. He felt his muscles finally relax as his heart rate slowed

Just as he was calm, Amethyst came bursting through the door. Steven nearly jumped out of his seat from the slamming of the screen. He quickly sat up and gripped the sides of the sofa to ground himself. He looked over to see who it was and released an irritated sigh. "Amethyst don't scare me like that!" He held onto his chest to force his heart beat down again. Amethyst felt guilty but only chuckled in response. Steven simply scowled at her

"Whoops, sorry dude. Hahaha! Just wanna let you know that Peridot told me the Diamonds are looking for you. Something about adding more gems to your court." Steven let out a loud groan out of frustration. He leaned forward, covering both eyes with his hands and resting his elbows on his knees. "I'll be there in a minute." Amethyst made her way back out to continue her teaching duties. Steven refused to move from his spot but he didn't have a choice. He never does. Everyone around him has needed his help at some point for the last 4 years of his life. He loved helping people but it was beginning to take a toll on him. To the point where he was ignoring his own problems and utilized this as some sort of coping mechanism. The gems have tried talking to him before but he didn't want be a burden on them. He constantly denied anything was wrong in the first place. And continued to bottle his feelings up. He wasn't sure how long he could keep this up, but he got away with it for this long. A little bit longer shouldn't hurt

He decided to finally face the music and stood up. He figured might as well get it over with so he can relax in peace. He made his way upstairs and headed towards the dome. He walked up to the communication panel and paused for a minute. Ever since White Diamond pulled out his gem, Steven has been afraid to face her. Just seeing her brings back those terrible memories and sends him into a panic attack. He prayed he wouldn't have to see her today. That's the last thing he needs right now. He inhaled deeply through his nose and slowly exhaled through his mouth. **_You can do this_** he told himself. And before he had a chance to back out at the last second, he pushed the call button

He had a stiff posture as he awaited someone to answer. Sweat was beading down his forehead and he began fidgeting with the hem of his black star shirt. Unfortunately for him, it was White who ended up answering the call. Steven tensed up even more upon seeing her face. He put on a fake smile and pretended everything is okay. He cleared his throat but his voice was still wavering all over the place and constantly cracked. "Heyyy White! You wanted to see me?"

White's face was beaming when she saw the boy on her screen. It was always a joy for her seeing Steven. Or as she liked to call him, Starlight. "Steven! Yes, some Homeworld gems were speaking with me and they changed their minds. They want to live on Earth and attend your school! Isn't that wonderful?!" Steven widened his eyes at her in shock. So many thoughts were going through his mind. **_What?! More gems?! That'll_** ** _double my work load! And the school is almost completely full! What am I going to do?! I can't say no!_** His anxiety got higher and higher as he began entering into a panic attack. The nauseous feeling returned in his gut and he wanted to puke right there on the spot. But he'd be embarrassed if it happened in front of White, so he held back

He attempted to sound as enthusiastic as possible. "That's......great! I'll get them settled in right away!" He mustered the biggest smile he could as more sweat dripped from his forehead. White gave him a confused look as she finally caught on to what was happening. "Starlight, are you okay?" And there's that nickname. The nickname that made his whole body twitch. He didn't want to hurt her feelings so he never said anything about it

The queasy feeling wasn't easing off anytime soon so he tried to end the conversation as quickly as possible. "Yeah, I'm fine! I should probably get going. I have a lot of work to do! Talk to you later!" He smacked his hand down on the end call button like his life depended on it

With the relief of her not being on the screen anymore, Steven hunched over without hesitation and vomited everywhere, placing a hand on the panel to steady him. He knew someone would have to clean that up later but right now he didn't care. All that mattered was he got it out of his system. He slowly came back up, still holding onto the panel. He waited a few seconds to catch his breath and steady himself. His legs felt weak and he didn't trust himself to walk at the moment

Another presence had entered the room. "Steven?" He recognized the gentle and caring voice. He turned around and saw Pearl standing in the doorway. His face turned red. He didn't like her seeing him in this state. She glanced down at the floor and noticed the vomit. She looked back up at him and frowned. Her eyes filled with pity and sorrow. "Another panic attack?" The boy refused to make eye contact and only nodded in response. Pearl walked towards him and lovingly rubbed his head. "You look really pale. Let's get you to bed." Steven wanted to object but he was too tired to do so

Pearl took his arm and wrapped it around her neck to help him walk. Steven blindly followed. They slowly walked down the steps and entered his room. She turned, allowing him to sit on the edge of the bed. He took off his jacket while Pearl removed his sandals. Steven felt a need to say something. "Pearl?...I'm sorry." Tears filled his eyes which blurred his vision. Pearl gently smiled at him to reassure that it's okay. "Steven it's fine, stop apologizing for this. It's not the first time this has happened and it probably won't be the last. I'll clean it up later." She pushed his bangs back and softly kissed him on his forehead 

Steven didn't bother changing and kept on his shirt and jeans. He let out a small yawn as his eyes were half way closed. He leaned back and rolled on his side. Pearl grabbed the blanket and pulled it over him, tucking him in. She was about to walk away when Steven looked over his shoulder and held her hand. Pearl looked back at the boy in surprise and curiosity. "Pearl, would you mind staying with me, please? I keep having nightmares lately." His voice was meek and filled with fear. Pearl could instantly tell something was wrong. She recognized the look of terror on his face. Knowing this, she didn't have it in her heart to tell him no

This was her little boy. And she vowed to always be there for him, no matter what. She figured Garnet could cover for her so she agreed. "Of course Steven." She pulled out a nearby chair and sat right next to his bedside. Steven proceeded to roll back over and attempt to relax. Pearl leaned forward and began slowly stroking his head. She noticed his muscles started to loosen up. She started daydreaming about everything they've been through together. Catching corrupted gems, building the rocket, stopping the Cluster, saving Homeworld and Spinel. But one particular memory stood out to her. When she was at her most vulnerable, Steven was there to comfort her. Finding out about Lion and the scabbard sent her spiraling into a full on mental breakdown. And despite running away and almost getting him killed, Steven never gave up on her. He provided the closure she so desperately needed. And lead to the first step of her healing process. Ever since that day, she promised herself that she would comfort and protect Steven the same way he did. She'd do it for him

She finally snapped out of her daze and noticed Steven sound asleep. He was softly snoring and left a small puddle of drool on his pillow. A smile crept on Pearl's face as she quietly chuckled to herself. She leaned back in her seat and remained there for a few minutes to make sure he was okay. He stirred a few times most likely due to a bad dream. To comfort him, Pearl grabbed the big star pillow that was next to his head and placed it in his arm. Steven automatically gripped onto it and curled in on himself, making a soft noise while doing so

Pearl deemed it safe to leave now so she headed back into the living room, going back to her day. She kept thinking to herself, **_Don't_** ** _worry Steven. I'm right here for you. I'll never leave you_**


	2. Taking a Risk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven comes up with a plan that may or may not backfire on him later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story ended up going in a different direction than I expected. But I'm excited! So I changed the rating to mature due to the swearing in this chapter. There will also be mentions of self harm, suicide, and blood but I'll put a trigger warning at the beginning of a chapter when that happens. Anyway, enjoy and thank you for reading!

As dawn approaches, the city is brought back to life and once again in a steady motion. Even the Crystal Gems were up and getting ready for their regular teaching jobs. Steven had slept soundly all night so Pearl felt comfortable leaving her seat. She went back and checked on him every 2 hours to make sure he didn't need anything. All while doing the chores and keeping the house as clean as possible. It was 7am and normally Steven would be franticly walking around the house, trying to get everything ready for the day. But the gems were fully aware of how tired he was so they let him rest. Pearl decided to take a break from the sweeping and mopping and rested in the kitchen. She pulled out her phone and started messing with it while resting her elbows on the countertop. Amethyst showed her a few mobile games that she would be interested in. This one sliding puzzle game particularly stood out to her. She gave it a shot and has been playing it ever since. Which is also what she was doing right now. Not that any of the puzzles were challenging for her. It mainly kept her calm and relaxed. To her, it was just a mindless game that she didn't have to put much thought into

A noise snapped her out of her daze. She flinched and glanced up to see what caused the noise. It was only Steven walking down the stairs. He looked somewhat better than the night before. He was in a fresh pair of clothes and slipped his jacket back on. His hair was still a mess and his eyes were slightly red. His body probably still reeling from his puke incident. Pearl stood up straight, walking towards him. "Oh, morning Steven! I didn't think you'd be up so soon." She offered him a smile and folded her hands in front of her. Steven wasn't sure how to react. He felt irritable, upset, tired emotionally, empty. So much in his head and yet he couldn't bring himself to say anything about it. He flashed a weak half smile back. "I'm okay now." He barely noticed that Pearl had kissed him on the forehead. His body was numb with a slight tingly sensation. Pearl knew he was lying but didn't want to press him so she went about her day

Steven inched his way over to the couch. He took a seat, landing with a thud. He let out a quiet moan as he leaned back and rested his head on the back of the sofa. As soon as Pearl had finished what she was doing, she joined Garnet and Amethyst on the warp pad. She gently waved goodbye at Steven, who just barely caught it out of the corner of his eye. "Don't worry about a thing Steven. You just get some rest. We'll handle everything." She was worried about him but she tried her best not to let it show. The boy was already under enough stress as it is. She wouldn't risk adding onto the pile of misery

"See ya later dude!" Amethyst gave him a quick two finger salute

"We love you." Garnet made a heart shape with her hands as they were engulfed in the blinding blue light. And just like that, they were gone. Steven left alone with his thoughts in a cold, dark house. He heaved out a heavy sigh and placed his hands on his face. Each passing second made him feel worse and worse. And each hour felt like an eternity. It got harder for him to breathe. He inhaled at a faster pace, trying to get more oxygen. _**What is wrong with me?**_ ** _I'm_** ** _supposed to help people....not hurt them. I'm supposed to make everything better. I'm the leader of the Crystal Gems! I'm-no....I'm not like her._** The mere thought of his mother made his stomach turn. He wasn't like her, right? He was Steven Universe! The healer! He wasn't going to be like her. And he wants to make sure that won't happen

 ** _You're not her. There's no way. You're better than this. Pull it together! Ugh why did I insist on going on missions back then?! I wanted to feel accepted. I wanted to be useful for once, not a burden on everyone's backs!_** He curled in on himself. Head was hung down low as he held himself. With the anxiety building up inside of him, he began rocking back and forth in his seat. His hands shifted to his head, gripping onto his hair. His nail started to dig into his scalp. But he didn't care about the pain right now. Too consumed by his frightening thoughts 

He tried focusing on the floor beneath him to ground himself. He practiced the breathing exercise Garnet taught him when he was Stevonnie. He muttered the song Garnet sang to them. "Take a moment to think of just.....flexibility, love, and trust. Take a moment to think of just.....flexibility, love, and trust." He was able to slow his breathing down again. No more uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He finally opened his eyes and looked up at the empty room in front of him. He released another sigh and ran a hand across his face. _**Why did I have to be such an**_ ** _idiot? I wish I never even begged to go on gem missions. Biggest regret of my-_** "Wait." His head immediately shot up as he came up with an idea

He sprung up to his feet, perhaps a little too quickly. He got slightly dizzy and almost fell over. Once he regained his balance though, Steven sprinted towards the bathroom. He slid across the floor trying to halt when he reached the door. When he came to a full stop, he stepped forward and flung the door open. Allbeit a little harder than he wanted to. He flinched slightly from the sound and then proceeded with his mission. Without hesitation, he approached the sink and opened the medicine cabinet, not wanting to look at his reflection right now. He knew he looked like a complete wreck and didn't have the patience to deal with. Not only that, but he despised himself every second of the day. All he saw was a shell of who he once was, whoever that was in the first place

He peered behind the bottles of the Diamond essence and found what he was looking for. He reached up and pulled out a small black box. Steven knew this would be the last place the gems would look. He kept it hidden for the past year. Steven carefully opened the box to reveal shards of the time piece he used when he was 13. Back when he originally just wanted his dad to join him at Beach-A-Palooza. And ultimately ended up starting a band with himself and watched all his past selves die. The boy shivered at the mere thought of what happened

He closed the box and went to warp over to Little Homeschool. When he arrived, he made sure to steer clear of the gems and made a B-line to the greenhouse. If anyone could help him, it was Peridot. He peeked through the glass to see if she was there. He rapidly scanned the area when he caught the tip of her triangle shaped hair in the distance. He ran to the door and through the building, pure adrenaline coursing through his veins. As he got closer, he called out to her. "Peridot!" By the time she heard him, he was already right in front of her. Peridot expected him to be further away and stumbled backwards from pure shock

After a moment, she recollected herself and got back up. She dusted herself off, adjusted her visor, and glared at Steven. "Steven you clod! I told you to stop doing that! I'd probably have a heart attack if I even had a heart."

Steven sheepishly smiled at the gem. While nervously rubbing the back of his head. "S-Sorry. I just really need your help with something."

"Well, can it wait until after class?!" Peridot aggressively gestured towards the crowd of students idly standing behind her

To be honest, he didn't even notice they were there. Steven was so laser focused on the task at hand. "Oh, right...of course!"

"Meet me at me and Lapis's place in precisely one hour." She gave him a little smirk. Steven only smiled and nodded in response 

* * *

Steven waited outside Peridot and Lapis's house, anxiously pacing back and forth. She was 5 minutes late now. Peridot was never late for anything. Which caused him to start imagining the worst possible outcome. **_What if she bumped into_** ** _someone and cracked her gem? What if Lapis was hurt and needed her help? What if Jasper did something to her?!_** He grunted at his inner thoughts. **_Agh Steven get a grip! I'm sure Peridot is fine_**

He decided to take a seat on a nearby stump and try to relax. He leaned forward resting his elbow on his knee and using his hand to support his head. He started admiring the beautiful horizon in front of him. He was questioning whether to go through with this plan or not. But it's too late to back out now. He was already here. To calm him, he took his mind elsewhere and thought about things that made him happy. The beach, the sound of the ocean waves rolling onto shore, the breeze that came with it. He loved the rush of feeling the wind hit his face. And the smell that fills his body with pure ecstasy. It's hard for him to imagine not living next to a ocean

He silently closed his eyes, picturing it in his head. He didn't know how much time has passed, but he nearly fell unconscious by the time Peridot arrived. "Steven!" She was loud enough for him to be fully awake once again and nearly flinched in the process. Unaware of his surroundings, he automatically stood up and frantically looked around. A few seconds later, he realized what was going on and composed himself 

Peridot ran towards him and was almost out of breath when she reached him. "S-Sorry Steven....Th-There was a-an accident in the gre-greenhouse." She leaned forward, trying to recover. Steven quietly let her regain her composure. Once she did, Peridot stood back up and readjusted her visor. She huffed out a sigh and spoke. "Okay! So, what do you need my assistance for?" She clasped her hands together and gestured her pointer fingers at him

Steven reached into his jean pocket and pulled out the black box. "Before I show you, promise me you'll keep this between us. No one else can know. Not the gems, not my dad, not even Lapis. Deal?" He extended a hand out to the gem so they can shake on it. Peridot glanced down at his hand then back at his gaze. Steven flashed her a reassuring smile, as if to say 'Trust me'. She frowned a bit with a worried expression on her face. After hesitating for a few seconds, she quietly sighed and finally reciprocated the handshake. She couldn't say no to that innocent face of his. Even though she was still concerned, she returned a half smile

Steven carefully opened the box and showed her the contents inside. Peridot quickly became very confused. She wasn't around when Steven found the hourglass in the Sea Shrine at the age of 13. Her gaze met his and raised an eyebrow. "Uhh Steven.....what is this?"

"This is an hourglass. Or rather....shards..of it. It allows you to travel back in time." To say Peridot was shocked would be an understatement. Her jaw fell open, struggling what to say next. She took a few steps back trying to process everything. A small spark of anger rose up inside her. "Steven?! Are you crazy?! You can't mess with the past! The consequences could be catastrophic and the future you come back to might be worse than it is right now!!" She gestured her hands towards him then crossed her arms over her chest

Steven let out a defeated sigh. "I know it's dangerous, but if I can just help my past self through some of the trauma then I won't turn out as bad. Please Perido-" The gem cut him off before he could finish. His mouth snapped closed and flinched slightly. "Oh no no no no no no. I'm sorry Steven but it's too risky. You have other options besides _this_." Now Steven was getting angry. Who was she to say he had _other options_. He put the box on the stump he was sitting on earlier and clenched his hands into fists

He shot her a scowl and gritted his teeth. "Oh you mean like seeing a fuckin _therapist?!_ Yeah a lot of good that'll do me." His tone was dripping with sarcasm. "If I can't even fix _myself_ then how can a therapist fix me?!" He exhaled sharply and turned his gaze away from the green gem. Peridot sighed and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and pointer finger

"Look, I understand the gems weren't exactly the best caretakers, but it's a lot easier to talk to somebody about it than jumping straight to time travel. It's not worth it." Steven looked back at her slightly offended. His blood was boiling now. A flush of pink spread across his cheeks

"You're right, maybe I'm _not_ worth it. But I'd rather do anything else than tell a _stranger_ all my problems!" Peridot was done trying to be nice. This slowly turned into a screaming match and the gem was not holding back. Neither was Steven for that matter

"Then talk to the gems! I don't care! Because _this_...." She pointed at the small case on the tree. "....is wrong." Pink has completely engulfed Steven's body. A low growl rose from his chest

" _You_ don't get to tell me what to do anymore! I'm seventeen! I can make decisions for myself! Now either help me or fuck off." Steven just glared at her, waiting for an answer. He hated whenever someone treated him like a child, like his opinions didn't matter. The gems did that to him for years and he'd be damned if he was gonna let Peridot do it too

The small gem in front of him closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath. A moment later she opened her eyes and wore a stern, serious expression. She slowly spoke, keeping her voice as steady as possible. "I'm not going to entertain this." 

Steven just stood there, scowling at her. He was totally done with this. And exhausted, both mentally and physically, by this point. He eventually decided it'd be best to walk away, before he does or says something he might regret. "Fine. I'll do it _by myself!_ " On that note, the pink glow dimmed down as he marched back to his house. Only to turn back around. "Forgot the hourglass." He snatched it and continued stomping down the path

Peridot watched him leave, shifting her expression to a sad sympathetic look. When the boy was out of earshot, she mumbled something for both him and herself 

".......Good luck."


	3. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven works tirelessly to meet his goal

After his confrontation with Peridot, Steven went straight back home to put the hourglass back together. Then maybe he can fix his mistakes. Hopefully. Even though he was still furious at the green gem for refusing to help, Steven couldn't but feel guilty. Maybe he shouldn't have yelled at her the way he did. But his emotions once again got the better of him. His logic consumed by desperation, pain, anxiety, and sadness. It felt wrong for him to talk to someone he's never met. And he couldn't talk to the gems. They made so much progress the last few years and he didn't want to ruin that. Steven wasn't about to become a burden on everybody else. If there was a small chance the gems would fall apart on him, he didn't want to take that leap of faith. The only way is to go back to the very beginning and stop all of this from happening. Cause it really hurt. _God_ did it hurt. He was tired of putting on a brave face all the time. He was determined to fix everything. Fix himself 

Steven grabbed a metal stand to hold the shards and a pair of tweezers to delicately join them together. His fingers were a bit....chubby for something like this. So slow and gentle is the way to go. He set everything on the dining table and got straight to work. Although his emotions were running high, he wanted to take all the time he needed. He knew it would be worth it in the end. It was most likely going to take him all day but he didn't care. This was his ticket to freedom. And damn he will do whatever it takes to grasp it

When Steven reached the halfway point, it was 5pm. He was already at it for 8 hours with barely any breaks. Only occasionally stopping to use the bathroom. As he was about to put another shard in place, he was startled by the sound of the warp pad. Nearly knocking everything off. Thank stars he caught it just in time. Being the savior of the galaxy provided him with fast reflexes. Steven rapidly spun around in his seat, keeping his project behind his back.He tried playing it cool but he wasn't a very good liar. He forced a smile with sweat dripping down his forehead 

Amethyst was the first to walk in, with Pearl and Garnet behind her. Amethyst pranced on over to the couch, flopping onto her back. "Yo Steven! How's it going?" Amethyst was pretty oblivious to Steven's lies. Or rather she didn't care as much as Garnet or Pearl

"Oh, I'm fine!" Steven's voice was wavering slightly. His voice cracking as he spoke. Amethyst just let him be. She didn't care if he lied to her. She lied to Pearl and Garnet all the time

Pearl was a bit more perceptive when it came to these things. And paranoid. But she means well. Pearl may have not liked Steven when he was born, but nowadays he was like a son to her. She'd do anything for him. He was her boy. Her _special little boy._ "Are you sure hon? Are you still nauseous? I'll take your temperature." She walked up to the boy, pressing her hand on his forehead. Steven made sure to keep his back against the table to keep the shards out of sight. Pearl touched almost every part of his face. He grew a bit annoyed and swatted her hand away. "Pearl stop! I'm fine." He couldn't stay mad at her for long though, giving her a small smile and a soft chuckle 

"Awwww, you wound me Steven Universe." Of course she was being sarcastic. Sometimes Pearl just wanted to act dramatic and tease him. And she just laughed alongside with him. Garnet didn't say anything to him and simply ruffled his hair a bit. Causing Steven to blush a little. He had to come up with some sort of excuse so he can continue working

"Hey guys? Um...I got a lot of important stuff to do for Little Homeschool so could you uh..give me some space?" The three gems exchanged a few looks between them. It was a silent communication for them. Steven anxiously folded his arms behind his head, hoping they believed it

A few moments later they all softly smiled at him and Pearl gave the verdict. "Of course Steven. Whatever you need. We'll be in our rooms. Let us know when you're done, okay?" Steven silently sighed from relief. Finally relaxing his muscles. And stopped sweating! The trio got up and headed to the temple door. One by one, their gemstones lit up and disappeared into their personal quarters

As soon as they were gone, Steven turned around and got back to work. Adrenaline motivating him to complete it. Nothing was gonna get in his way. Except maybe his own body. Specifically his human side

Another 5 hours later, Steven was about to put the last piece in place. At this point, he was utterly exhausted. The adrenaline had long passed and his body was struggling to function. His eyes were already half way closed when he grabbed the final shard. Every minute he was fighting to stay awake. He did eventually manage to get the piece in. When everything was in place, the hourglass started to glow. It glued itself together, making it whole. Not a crack in sight

Steven pumped his fists into the air in celebration. Albeit tiredly but the happiness was still there. He put the device carefully back in the box. He stretched out and let out a loud yawn. "Finally..." Steven felt too weak to move so he didn't. He folded his arms on the table and rested his head on top. The second he did that, Steven was out like a light. Snoring and all

It wasn't until an hour later that someone caught him. Greg thought it'd be good for him to check on his son. Even he's noticed a change in Steven's attitude. He casually walked through the door but was immediately startled from the lack of light in the empty house. With Steven's bedroom being on a higher level, the gems were able to turn on a light without disturbing him

Greg didn't see Steven at the table at first so he treaded carefully. He whispered "Steven?" When he got further in, he saw Steven's jacket. Even in total darkness, it was hard to miss the bright pink he wore every day. Greg walked over to the boy and stood on the left side of the chair Steven was in. Back hunched over, arms still folded, he buried his face into his sleeves a bit more so you couldn't see much of his face

Greg tried nudging his shoulder gently. "Steven? Steven. Come on schtuball, you need to get in bed." Nothing. Greg knew he wasn't going to wake up at this point. Steven was usually a light sleeper. And if shaking him didn't work, then Greg knew that he was gone for the rest of the night. Greg heaved a heavy sigh. "Alright. Let's get you upstairs buddy." Greg carefully lifted his son's head off the table. He got one arm behind his back and the other underneath his legs

He slowly lifted Steven up and went to the stairs, cradling him in is arms. Greg made sure to not hit Steven's head, as it was hanging down. Along with his right arm. Greg treaded cautiously up to the bedroom. Still somehow he managed to accidentally hit Steven's head on the doorframe. Now _that_ woke him up. "Ow! Godammit." He lifted his head up and placed his right hand on it. Greg stopped at the entrance to let Steven recover

It took him a minute to register that he was in his dad's arms. Steven looked up at him confused. "Dad? What are you doing here?" As the pain settled, his eyelids went back to halfway open

"I came to check on you, I couldn't sleep. But then I saw _you_ asleep in the living room so I thought I'd carry you on up to bed. Is that alright Steven?"

"Yeah, that's fine dad. That was actually some of the best sleep I've had in a while." Steven continued to rub his head. That bump gave him a slight headache 

"Then you rest up kiddo. I'll take care of things from here." Steven quietly hummed in response and let his eyelids droop, falling back into a deep slumber. He rested his head on Greg's shoulder as he proceeded into the bedroom 

Greg stood at the bedside and gently placed him down. Steven instantaneously rolled onto his side and clutched his fluffy star pillow. Greg proceeded to pull a blanket over him, gently tucking him in

Greg paused and smiled sympathetically. He desperately wanted to help his son...but he didn't know where to start. Steven was too stubborn to talk to anyone. Sorta like Pink I suppose. Greg wanted to reach out but he didn't know what else he could do. All he can do is hope that Steven will start speaking up soon. But for now, all he can do is wait

Greg bent down and kissed Steven on his head, while also ruffling his hair a smidge. "Night Steven....I hope you're okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there's a lot of build up, but I promise the next chapter will have actual time travel lol. And I can't wait for you guys to see it. Also thank you all for the amazing support you've given this story! I love interacting with you guys. So keep those comments and kudos coming!


	4. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven goes back to a time where everything was simple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally have time travel lol

All was quiet in the beach house. Or it would be if the alarm on Steven's phone wasn't screeching like mad. He was barely able to recognize what the sound was with his mind still foggy. Drifting in and out of consciousness. The sound grew louder as he gradually returned to reality. He groaned as he tried to force himself awake. However his body protested. His eyelids felt super heavy, like something was weighing them down. His tired mind soon gave up. He instinctively rolled over and hit the snooze button on his phone. "Mmm....5 more minutes..." He went back to a peaceful sleep

Not long after, there was a loud banging on his bedroom door. Steven yelped in surprise and fell off the bed. "Steven! This is the third time this morning you've slept through your alarm! Come downstairs!" It was just Pearl being a mom like usual. Steven sat up and rubbed where he hit his head. "Ow. C-Coming!" He jumped onto his feet and got himself ready

He sprinted down the stairs to see what was going on. He saw Pearl in front of him checking her phone. "Steven we have classes in 10 minutes!" _Shit._ He mumbled under his breath. He was so focused on the hourglass that he forgot he still had a job to do

 _Better late than never._ He nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Right. I-I'll just meet you guys there. I uh have errands to run." He plastered on a fake smile. And as usual, the gems bought it. It became increasingly frustrating but he didn't want to show it. In blissful ignorance, the gems warped away. Steven sighed in relief. "Phew. Finally." He walked towards the dining table and grabbed the hourglass

He whispered under his breath. "Alright. Here goes nothing." He clutched the device and closed his eyes, pleading for it to work. "I wish to go back to when I was 14!" Moments later, a dim yellow light emanated from Steven's hand. It grew bigger and brighter. Then there was a flash of white light. And just like that, he was gone

* * *

In milliseconds, he appeared on the beach in front of the house. He turned around to see if he was really in the past. He looked up at the house. _Yep, this is_ _definitely the past._ It was the older design, before Little Homeschool was even a thought. "Okay so I'm in the past, but _when_ in the past?" Suddenly he saw someone running down the stairs. Steven quickly hid behind the staircase so he wouldn't be seen. It appeared to be his younger self running. With a black eye. "Oh great. Right after I met Jasper." Steven ran after his younger self and called out to him. "Steven!" 

Young Steven stopped dead in his tracks and turned to see who's voice that was. He was shocked to see his future self. When he stopped in front of him, Steven became very weary. "Umm who are you?"

"I'm you from the future. No time to explain. Follow me." Steven grabbed his young counterpart and hid behind a nearby pillar. Younger Connie can be heard calling out in the distance. "Okay, I know this is gonna be hard for you to understand but I came here from the future to help you control your powers."

Classic Steven had stars in his eyes. "Cool! Hey what's the future like? Are there flying cars? Does magic exist? What happens to Homewor-" Steven cut him off

"I know you have a lot of questions but now isn't the time for that. I need you to focus." Things were already off to a rough start

Classic Steven narrowed his eyes. "Right, got it. Serious Steven mode activated!" Steven face palmed. _God was I_ _always this annoying?!_

Steven let out a heavy sigh. "Okay, you have to go talk to Connie about Jasper and Lapis. Trust me, you'll feel a lot better afterwards."

Classic Steven widened his eyes. "What?! No way! I wanna make sure she's safe. She doesn't need me. And...I don't need her..."

Steven had a sorrow look on his face. He remembers this moment all too well. These feelings. The time he started putting other's feelings above his own. It really hurt to see it actually happen in front of him. Tears formed in his eyes. He bent down and placed his hands on Classic Steven's shoulders. "Yes....you do. You need her and she needs you. You guys are jam buds. I know you love her. Be there for her as much as possible."

Classic Steven started crying as well. "But....what about my magical destiny?"

"You don't have to be like mom. I know it's hard seeing people think you're her. But I can assure you, we're not her. Don't get stuck in her shadow." Classic Steven nodded in response. The two shared a quick hug

"Thank you uhhh....it feels kinda weird calling you Steven." He smiled sheepishly 

"Hmm...then how about you just call me Stevie." He gently smiled

Steven really liked the idea. "Sounds awesome!"

Stevie laughed and wiped the tears off of Steven's face. "Alright. Wipe away the crocodile tears, take a deep breath, and go talk to her. I believe in you Steven." Steven smiled and gradually made his towards Connie. After a few feet, he nervously looked back over his shoulder and saw Stevie giving a thumbs up

A little while later, Steven and Connie parted ways. Stevie met him halfway on the beach. "I knew you could do it." Steven blushed as Stevie ruffled his hair

Out of nowhere, they heard a familiar voice. Both flinched at the sudden noise. They looked up and saw the Crystal Gems on the staircase. "Steven! Who is this person with you?!" Pearl shouted. The gems were quick to arm themselves 

Stevie's expression immediately shifted. "Shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really happy with the direction this is going. I decided to give Future Steven a nickname cuz I figured it would get very confusing lol. Can't wait for you to see what's next!


	5. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before training can begin, Stevie has to work with the Crystal Gems

"I can explain." Stevie put his hands out in defense. But before he could make a move, Amethyst tied a whip around him. She pulled him in closer with fire in her eyes. "Please wait! I don't want to hurt you!"

Amethyst snarled at him. "Stay away from our Steven." Garnet looked about ready to punch him when Steven got in-between 

"Guys, stop! He's telling the truth! He's me from the future!" The gems exchanged glances between each other. Then Pearl stepped up. She glared and pointed her spear directly in Stevie's face

"If you really _are_ Steven, tell us something only he would know." Stevie sighed as he contemplated if he should really say this. His mind raced for a moment then he came right out with it

"Okay. I know Rose was Pink Diamond." Everyone was left speechless. Pearl immediately dropped her spear as her expression softened

" _What?"_ Her body froze and all she could do was stare

Everyone else was in denial. Including Steven. "What? No, mom was a Rose Quartz. Right? She's Rose Quartz!"

Stevie looked over his shoulder with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry Steven. I was going to tell you but not like this."

Steven stared down at his feet then looked back up. "Pearl?" There was desperation in his voice

Garnet and Amethyst looked at the gem in question, also waiting for an answer. "P, why didn't you tell us?!" Amethyst let go of the whip that was around Stevie

Garnet tried her best to keep it together but eventually came undone. Sapphire was mad beyond belief while Ruby tried being the calm one. "I can't believe this. S-She lied to us! All that talk about never questioning ourselves. Was any of it real?!" Sapphire started running back inside the house

Ruby chased after her. "Sapphire, wait!"

"Amethyst, can you make sure Ruby and Sapphire stay in the house?" Stevie asked. Amethyst nodded and walked after them

He redirected his attention to Pearl, who remained motionless. "Pearl? Are you okay?" She looked at him with a blank expression 

She didn't even know where to start. "I......How did you know?"

"I went inside your gem and saw the memories. At least, in my timeline." Pearl nodded slightly and began walking away 

"I'll....be in my room." She hung her head down low

"I'll explain it to everyone." Stevie called out

He turned back to Steven, who was shaking. Stevie crouched down in front of him. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to be afraid. Let's go talk about it." He held out his hand

Steven looked at the hand and instead ran into his arms for a hug, which caught Stevie off guard. He gripped onto his jacket. Stevie returned the hug and started crying. He picked Steven up and held him close to his chest as they went back to the house. It really struck a nerve for Stevie. He remembers how awful it felt when he saw the memory with his own eyes. He didn't let it show but he was so torn up about it. He already thought his mother shattered somebody. But even that ended up being a lie. Well, not completely. She faked her own shattering. And now she left Pearl broken as well. Something that he was forced to clean up. It reminded him why he started hating his mother

He tried putting all that out of his mind right now. This isn't the time to get angry. He didn't want to accidentally have an outburst in front of Steven. It'll just make everything worse. For the time being, his focus was on Steven. Stevie stepped inside and was about to go upstairs but forgot one crucial detail. _**"Dammit, I**_ ** _forgot I didn't have a bedroom door yet."_** Time for plan B

"Hey guys, we'll be in Rose's room for bit. I promise I'll explain everything later." Amethyst, Ruby, and Sapphire all nodded. Stevie continued making his way to the temple door. His gem started glowing and the door opened on command. He walked in and the door immediately disappeared. "Hi room. Uh, could I have a king sized bed?" Within a second, the bed appeared in front of them. Stevie sat on the edge of the imaginary bed and held Steven in his lap. Steven looked up and wiped away his tears. "I know this isn't very practical but I wanted us to have some privacy." Stevie said. "So..talk to me. I'm all ears."

Steven took a deep breath but his voice still cracked. "I'm a bit confused about one thing. What exactly are the Diamonds?"

Stevie sighed. "The Diamonds are the rulers of Homeworld. They forced gems into this rigid caste system where they had to do whatever they were made for. If you don't fit in, they shatter you..." Steven gripped his chest as Stevie continued to explain. "There used to be 4 diamonds: Yellow, Blue, White, and Pink. Which is who mom was."

Steven had more questions than answers. "What was Pink Diamond like?"

"Selfish, destructive, childish. But I guess she's not all bad. I haven't quite figured out how I feel _myself_." Stevie looked down and frowned

Steven just simply stared at him with sympathy in his eyes. He wished there was a way to help his older counterpart. He thought it'd be best to just change the subject for now. "Well, what about Pearl? Why didn't she say anything?"

"Pearl couldn't. It's not like she didn't want to say anything. Mom made her promise not to tell anyone. Pearl helped fake mom's shattering. So she could be free. Don't be mad at Pearl. It's not her fault." Stevie wiped a few stray tears off his face

"So they just wanted to fight for the Earth?" Steven shrugged

Stevie nodded. "And for other gems."

"Well that's _one_ good thing she did." Steven leaned forward and rested his head on Stevie's chest

Stevie looked at him and grinned

Steven wasn't sure what else to say and just sighed. "I feel like such an idiot."

"Don't say that. You're not an idiot. You couldn't have known. I-It's not your fault." _**It's not your fault.**_ Stevie repeated those words in his head over and over again. It finally registered what they meant. He pulled Steven in closer as tears rolled down his face. They remained still for a few more moments then pulled away again. Although Steven was still shaking a bit

The kid looked up at his counterpart. "Can we go to my room? I'd feel much safer there."

Stevie gave a warm smile. "Sure. Let me just talk to Amethyst, Ruby, and Sapphire first. Wait here, I'll be back in a minute. Promise." He stood up and put Steven in his place

Steven nervously rubbed the back of his head. "A-Are you sure? I don't know if-" He got cut off

"Hey. It'll be fine. I won't be gone long. I swear it'll be like I never left." Stevie got down on one knee and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me." Steven grinned and nodded. On that note, Stevie stepped out of the room 

The three gems in question glanced over at him. He stood directly in front of the couch where they were sitting. "Okay, I know you have a lot of questions."

"Yeah, no shit." Amethyst said with her arms crossed

"Just...hear me out." Stevie went on to explain everything he knew about Pink. And what Pearl has told him in the past. It was rough for him at certain points. Not that he didn't know how to say it. Some of it just really struck a chord with him. After he was done, everyone took a minute to think. Ruby and Sapphire held hands as they walked into their room

Sapphire suddenly turned around. "Thank you, Steven from the future."

"Just call me Stevie." He did a hand wave in their general direction 

Amethyst then stood up with a smile on her face. "Thanks for telling us man. I'm gonna check on Pearl and see how she's doing."

Stevie nodded. "I have to go back and get Steven anyway." Amethyst opened up her door first then Stevie did

When he walked in, he found Steven still in the exact same spot he left him. The boy looked up and immediately ran to him. He kept a firm grip around Stevie's legs. Stevie quietly chuckled to himself and picked the kid up. "Hey bud, I missed you too. Come on, let's go." They exited that room and went to Steven's room

Stevie sat on the bed, up against the wall with Steven leaning on him. Stevie reached out and grabbed the tv remote. "Wanna watch something? Your pick."

Steven bounced a little with excitement. "Ooo let's watch Crying Breakfast Friends!"

Stevie couldn't help but laugh. "Alright. This'll give me a rush of nostalgia."

"What do you mean? Do you not watch it anymore?" Steven looked at him confused 

Stevie just shrugged. "Eh not really. It's been over for a while now. Besides, I got really busy and didn't have as much time to watch it."

"Aw man. Then at least tell me what happens!"

Stevie scoffed. "I'm not spoiling it for you!" The two shared a laugh and remained quiet for the rest of the show. Steven was finally able to relax. At least for a little while. A few hours passed and it was getting late at night. Steven rested his head on Stevie's stomach. He was currently only half awake. And Stevie was close to nodding off himself 

Steven let out a big yawn and whispered. "I'm glad you're here Stevie. I can't wait for you to show me all the cool powers I get." Steven couldn't quite fall asleep but he was definitely super relaxed

Stevie had already closed his eyes and simply hummed in agreement. "Mmmm." He put an arm back behind his head

Steven continued talking. "What are we starting with first?" No answer. "Stevie?" Still no response. Steven looked up and saw Stevie had passed out. He could feel him breathing and hear his light snoring. Steven chuckled and scooted in closer. He placed his arms around Stevie and got comfortable. Once he was settled, he sighed and closed his eyes with a smile on his face. "Goodnight Stevie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it'd be better to get some of the Pink Diamond stuff out of the way. Now we can focus on the really important stuff! Stay tuned!


	6. Training: Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevie teaches Steven to summon his shield

It was 5am the next morning, which meant it was training time! And Steven could not be more excited. He had already gotten dressed while Stevie was still sound asleep. After Steven got up, he had rolled onto his side, face pressed against the pillow. His somewhat loud snoring filled the room and a small line of drool stained the pillow. Once Steven got ready, he snuck to the side Stevie was facing. He quietly snickered with a mischievous grin on his face. He poked Stevie's cheek a couple times. He moved but not much response. Steven then tried poking his forehead. And then he accidentally poked one of his eyes. Stevie sat up in surprise, clenching both hands around the injured eye. "Owwww! Dammit!"

Steven felt so horrible about it. He gasped in shock. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I was just trying to wake you up. It's training day, right?" You could tell from the look in his eyes that Steven truly didn't mean to do what he did. It was an honest mistake 

Stevie glanced at him once he regained his eyesight. He sighed out of irritation. Stevie didn't do so well first thing in the morning. "It's fine. Just give me about 30 minutes to wake up." He scratched the top of his head and stretched out his back

Steven still felt weary about the situation. "Are you sure? I really didn't mean-"

"I said it's fine!!" Stevie glared at him and slammed a fist on the bed. Steven was caught off guard and took a step back. He was feeling way more scared than before. Once Stevie registered the fear on Steven's face, he immediately regretted his actions. He almost lost his cool for a moment. This probably wouldn't have happened if it wasn't bright and early in the morning. But that's still no excuse. He desperately needed to keep that temper of his in check. For everyone's sake. Stevie's expression softened to one filled with guilt. "Ah I'm sorry Steven. I didn't mean to yell like that." He stood up and walked towards Steven. "I just have some anger issues to work out. And I'm not used to waking up this early heh." Steven looked down at his feet, still feeling on edge. Stevie hugged him and picked him up. "Hey, it's okay buddy. It was an accident. Give me some time to have my morning coffee and then I'll make you breakfast. Okay?"

Steven grinned and nodded. "Okay." After a little reconciliation, the two made their way downstairs into the kitchen. Stevie put Steven down and went to prep his coffee. While he did that, Steven sat on one of the stools in front of the counter. He tried to make light conversation. "So, what are we doing first?"

Stevie responded as he was cooking breakfast. "We'll be starting with the basics. I'll show you how to summon your shield."

A few minutes passed and Stevie was eventually able to sit down across from Steven while he was eating breakfast. He grinned as he clutched his cup of coffee. The two discussed what the plan was for today. It only amplified Steven's excitement tenfold. He couldn't wait to hangout with his mentor

Just as soon as Steven finished eating, the temple door activated. Both glanced over and saw Pearl walking in. She looked completely worn out. Her and Amethyst must have had a really long conversation. Steven immediately got up and ran towards her. Stevie however, was feeling a bit conflicted. He wanted to intervene and stop his younger self from causing more damage. But at the same time, maybe it would provide some much needed closure for the future. He decided to just watch from afar for now

Pearl made eye contact with Steven and put her hands together in front of her. "Morning Steven. A-Are you feeling okay?" Her voice was small and weak

Steven nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." Hearing those words triggered something in Stevie. He chose to step in to prevent this from becoming a habit yet again

He called out and walked over. "Uh if I may intervene for a moment. Sorry." He turned to face Steven. "Don't be afraid. Have a little faith in them. I wish I had figured that out sooner." Stevie smiled and gave a little wink

Steven paused and nodded. Stevie took a step back as Steven continued his conversation. "Actually...I'm a little upset."

Pearl nodded. "Oh, okay. Maybe we can talk later then?"

"Yeah. As soon as I finish my training with Stevie!" Steven was feeling way more cheerful than before. Pearl smiled wide and giggled 

Stevie spoke up again. "Hey Steven, you go on outside. I'll meet you there so we can start training."

"Okay!" Steven immediately ran out the door and down the stairs

Stevie turned back towards Pearl. "Pearl, I need to speak to you for a minute. I-uh-we...god this is awkward. Steven has always felt like he couldn't talk to you about his feelings." He started sweating a bit. "I think it would be really beneficial if..." He started getting a little choked up. The sting of tears rose to the surface. "....you could be there for him like he has been there for you." His voice wavered as he spoke. "Please. Put aside your feelings for once." He tried very hard to keep it together. And Pearl could sense it

Pearl stood there stunned for a moment. "I......of course."

"Thank you." Stevie said quietly 

Then Pearl did something unexpected. She reached up and put a hand on his cheek. Stevie flinched a little. She smiled warmly at him and spoke. "I don't know what I've had done in the future to hurt you this bad, but I am so sorry Steven. I love you so much."

Stevie softly chuckled. "I love you too."

"And it seems you have grown into quite the young man." The two of them laughed at her remark

Stevie leaned in for a tight hug. Pearl gladly returned it. And the tears started flowing. They stood still for a few more seconds. Pearl surprisingly kept her composure. Most likely because Stevie was a crying mess. But a happy mess nonetheless. His tears had become happy tears once he began laughing at the same time

But what they hadn't realized was Steven has been watching them from a distance. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he did see them embrace each other. So he decided to give them a little space

After a minute, Stevie was able to compose himself enough to let go. He sniffed and wiped the stray tears off his face

* * *

Soon Stevie faced Steven and prepared for their rigorous training exercise. "Okay, the key to summoning your shield is to relax. Loosen your muscles and focus all your energy into your gem." Stevie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He put his arm out in front of him and within a second, the shield appeared. "See? Now you try." 

"Okay." Steven nodded. He mimicked Stevie exactly. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and put his arm out in front of him. His gem began to glow brighter and brighter the more he concentrated. An image of the shield appeared but kept glitching. It eventually wore him out and he had to let go. Steven collapsed to his knees panting

Stevie jogged up to him and helped him to his feet. "It's okay bud. You'll get it. You did great."

Steven looked up and smiled. "Thanks. That means a lot."

"Why don't you try again. Then we'll be done for today." Stevie encouraged

"Okay." Steven got back in his stance and tried one last time. This time, focusing even harder. It once again started glitching. Except it actually stayed solid for once. Both gasped at what they had witnessed. Steven had stars in his eyes. "Yeah! Whoohoo!" However he couldn't celebrate for long. Soon he started feeling light headed. Eventually his body gave out and he fell back onto the ground. He was still conscious...sorta. But his body wouldn't move

Stevie looked down at him. "Steven! Are you okay?!"

"Y-Yeah I think so. But I feel like I might pass out at any moment." He fought to keep his eyes open, refusing to let himself black out

"You'll be okay. I'll help you back inside and you can rest." Stevie bent down and cradled Steven in his arms. All the while, Steven was slipping in and out of consciousness

The last he remembers is seeing Stevie's smiling face as he got carried back inside the house


	7. Joy Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven sneaks off to hang out with Jenny, Buck, and Sour Cream

When Steven finally came to, he found himself laying on the couch. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Stevie sitting by his feet. He grinned and softly spoke. "Hey buddy. Welcome back."

Steven smiled back and sat up. "Hey." He gently rubbed the back of his head. It was aching surprisingly a lot

Stevie placed a hand on his shoulder. "You should probably just take it easy for a bit." He smiled warmly 

Steven smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."

* * *

Later that night, Steven layed still in bed with Stevie while he was asleep. He had his right arm wrapped around Steven and his left arm resting on a star shaped pillow. Steven had trouble sleeping and just silently stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly, something slammed into the window. Steven widened his eyes and looked over to see what it was. There was a single slice of pizza sliding on the window. "Pizza rain?" He whispered. He started getting a little too curious and decided to investigate it. The only problem was he was stuck in Stevie's grip. Steven slowly and carefully moved Stevie's arm and slipped out of bed. Stevie's arm dangled over the edge of the bed

Steven crept down the stairs and went outside. What he saw was unexpected. "Buck? Sour Cream? What are you doing here?"

"We were gonna have a night out and we wanted you to join." Sour Cream answered 

Steven cocked an eyebrow. "But nighttime is for dreaming."

"Nighttime is whatever you want it to be." Buck retaliated 

"Come on Steven! It'll be fun. Don't you want a break?" Sour Cream made a very convincing argument 

Steven put a hand up to his chin and thought for a moment. "Hmmmmm. Okay, why not!"

The three of them walked over to Jenny, who was waiting in the pizza car. They drove down the road for a while looking for something to do. Then they suddenly ran into broken parts of Peridot's ship. "Whoah, what's that?!" Sour Cream pointed out

Jenny slammed on the brakes. "What?! What'd I hit?!" She looked over to where he was pointing. "Ohh."

Steven gasped and whispered. "Peridot's ship." They all got out of the car and walked towards the broken spaceship

Jenny pulled out her cellphone. "Steven get in front of it! I want to take pictures."

He started panicking. "I-I really shouldn't. Maybe we should wait for the gems."

Jenny pouted. "Aw come on. I got funny stickers."

Steven widened his eyes. "M-Maybe just a few." Jenny pulled him in closer and started taking a bunch of pictures. Ones having a sillier pose than the last. Soon the whole group joined in. Once the last picture was taken, Jenny turned back towards Steven. "Hey Steven, I got a great idea. Get in it!"

Steven nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Ehh I don't know."

"Just one picture." Jenny pleaded

"The thing is busted anyway." Buck chimed in. Steven continued to hesitate for a second 

Meanwhile back at the house, Stevie stirred awake and noticed Steven was gone. Currently confused in his hazy mindset. "Huh?" He looked around and noticed the pizza grease on the window. Stevie got out of bed and investigated further. As soon as he saw the pizza on the ground, he knew exactly where he was. "Oh no. Fuck! I gotta reach him before the gems do." He quickly put on his jacket and ran out the door. In the heat of the moment, he turned pink and sped up

He came to a halt when he saw Peridot's ship. Stevie slowed down to normal speed and called out to him. "Steven! Stop!" He stopped the kid just in time. Steven halted and turned around. Stevie ran up to him and panted. "Don't.....go...in there."

"Stevie?! What are you doing here?"

Stevie scoffed. "What am _I_ doing here?! Stopping you from making a huge mistake!"

Steven crossed his arms. "I can handle myself. I just wanted a break."

"I get it. But please don't sneak off like that! My job is to protect you! You would've been almost stabbed had I not intervened."

Steven put his arms back down. "But-"

Stevie cut him off. "No, I've had it! You're coming home right now! And don't EVER fucking do this again!!" Stevie turned pink and gritted his teeth

Everything went dead silent. Steven stood still, shocked. He kept his mouth shut as tears quietly rolled down his face. Steven began crying harder and ran away

Stevie put a hand over his mouth. "Steven wait, I didn't mean it like that-Steven!" He sighed. "I'm such an idiot." Stevie decided to run after him. He searched high and low until he spotted him behind a barrel. "Steven, there you are."

Steven buried his face in his arms. "Go away."

Stevie's expression softened. "Steven I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. I just want you to stay safe."

"You turned pink....Is that a Pink Diamond power?" Steven looked up at him

Stevie nodded and crouched down to his level. "It happens whenever I feel a very strong emotion. I'm trying to work through it. It's kinda why I have anger issues. I lose control sometimes. You probably think I'm a big jerk now."

Steven shook his head. "No, I care about you. I understand why you're so upset. I don't know what I go through in the future but it must've been a lot if you're like this."

Stevie looked down. "Yeah....it was a lot."

"But you're right. I shouldn't have snuck off like that. I'll try to be more careful." Steven smiled weakly. Stevie gladly smiled back

"If you want, you can stay. I won't stop you." Stevie stated

Steven shrugged. "Nah, I think I've had enough fun for one night. But before we go...." He grabbed Stevie's hand and dragged him back towards the other teens. They all grouped together as Steven took out his phone. Stevie started feeling anxious and nervously smiled along with everyone else. And before he realized, Steven snapped the photo. When it was done, the boy turned back towards him

"Now I'll have something to look back on when I'm your age." He said with a big smile on his face

When he walked away, Stevie took out his own phone. He looked at the camera app and sure enough, the picture was there. He smiled quietly to himself. Guess he was already changing the future for the better


	8. Sworn to the Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl teaches Connie swordfighting. But when Pearl starts putting some questionable things in her head, Stevie steps in before it goes south

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, I made a few tweaks so be sure to check that out. Otherwise, enjoy the story! My plan is to take all the important episodes in each season and twist them a little to fit my storyline. So as you can see from the title, this is a twist on the episode Sworn to the Sword. One of my favs! Next chapter will be Chille Tid

A few days had passed and Steven was hanging out with Connie on the Temple hand by the warp pad. Connie had brought over a picnic basket filled with biscuits and strawberry jam. Steven had her bring her violin so they could have a jam session. Metaphorically and literally. Steven had also brought his ukulele. They pulled out their respective instruments and began playing

Steven: _The sun is bright, our shirts are clean. We're_ _sitting up above the sea. Come on and share this jam with me_

Connie: _Peach or plum or_ _strawberry. Any kind is fine, you see. Come on and share this jam with me. I'll do my best to give this jam the sweetness it deseeeerrrrrrves_

Steven: _And I'll keep it fresh. I'm jamming on these tasty preseeerrrrrves!_

Both: _Ingredients in harmony. We mix together perfectly. Come on and share this jam with me_

"Whoohoo! Jam buds!" Steven cheered. It was nice for him to get a break after everything that has happened 

"Nice jam session Steven! It's a shame that Stevie couldn't join us though. I'd love to get to know him better." Connie said as she put her violin back in its case

Steven hand waved in her direction. "He didn't really feel like it at the moment. Besides, he has his own thing going on. We still have the best part of this jam session!" He reached inside the picnic basket and grabbed a biscuit. He then grabbed the jar of strawberry jam and proceeded to spread it on his biscuit. He was about to take a bite when a flock of seagulls attacked him

While Steven was cowering, Connie pulled out her violin bow and swung it around. "Hah! Hi-yah! Run back to your masters! Tell them we're not afraid of your kind!" She said in exaggerated tone

Steven smiles and laughs. "Thanks for saving my jam snack." He takes a bite and savors it. "You're such a good swordfighter Connie." He says with a mouthful

She looks back at him in surprise. "Really? Thanks! I was just swinging this thing around. I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'd love to learn how to use a real sword!" She strikes a pose with the violin bow

Steven gasped and had stars in his eyes. "Steven has an idea! And I know just the gem to help us! Come on." He grabbed Connie's hand and warped back to the living room. Still dragging her behind, Steven ran up to Pearl. "Pearl! Can you teach Connie how to swordfight?"

Pearl cocked an eyebrow at him. "You want me to do what?"

"Teach her to swordfight! She's already so good!" He cheered. Steven knew she didn't know anything about combat but he wanted her to feel confident 

Connie blushed at the compliment. "Steven."

"But you are!" He continued singing her praises. "You helped me fight the robot floaty thing, she took down that evil clone of herself. Uh...those mean seagulls just now."

"You're awfully young to begin something like this." Pearl questioned. "But I suppose I was only a few thousand years old when I began fighting alongside Pink." As she thought about it, Connie raised her hand like she was in a classroom. Pearl paused for a moment. "Yes, Connie?"

She put her hand back down and clenched her fists in front of her. "Please, I wanna learn! I mean, I don't know what'll happen in the future, but if something dangerous comes along, I don't wanna be a burden, I wanna help! I wanna be there for Steven to fight by his side! The Earth is my home too. Can't I help protect it?" Connie blushed and looked down at her feet

Pearl was so moved by her speech that she put her hands together in front of her face and started crying tears of joy. "Oh, okay!" She wiped away the tears. "If that's how you feel, we should get started!" She began walking towards the warp pad with Steven following close behind 

Connie raised an eyebrow. "Wait, now?" Pearl gave her a firm nod and she sighed. "Alright, why not." She weakly smiled and ran to the warp. As they warp, Connie starts floating up and giggling

Once they reach their destination, Connie falls flat on the warp pad. Steven helps her back up. "You okay? It can take some getting used to." But it seems like Connie doesn't care as she's still laughing 

Pearl gets tired of their shenanigans and calls out to them. "Come on you two!"

In the midst of her hype, Connie turns to Steven with a smile. "Race ya!" Steven happily obliges and runs after Connie. The two race up the staircase to the Sky Arena. When they reach the top, they are met with awe. "Woah." Connie exclaimed

All three of them made their way into the arena as Pearl explained. "This is an Ancient Sky Arena Connie, where some of the first battles for Earth took place. It was here that I became familiar with the human concept of being a knight, completely dedicated to a person and a cause. This is what you must become Connie; brave, selfless, loyal...a knight!" Pearl pulls out a sword and carefully hands it to Connie. The girl looks at it in awe. "We begin with a bow. First to me, your teacher." Connie complies and the two bow at one another. "And now again, to your liege."

Connie nods and turns to Steven. "My liege." She exaggerately bows at him

He does the same. "Miss Knight." The two smile and giggle under their breath

Pearl, still being as serious as ever, keeps it professional. "I hope you two are taking this seriously." Her back facing the children with her arms crossed

"Yes ma'am!" Connie affirmed

Pearl begins to twirl and summons a holo Pearl, much to Steven's chagrin. He's had first hand experience with how dangerous those can be. One nearly destroyed the house while Pearl was reforming. Let's just say it left quite an impression on him. "To begin, this holo Pearl will be your opponent."

The holo Pearl materialized its own sword and assumed its stance. "Level 0. Beginner, set. Do you wish to engage in combat?" It says in a robotic voice

Connie cheers. "Yes!" Excited to start her training and become a knight for the love of her life

Steven however, felt the opposite. He subconsciously put up a bubble around him and the love of _his_ life

Connie looked over in confusion. "Uh Steven?"

"Hm? Oh! I-I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Reflex." He immediately dispels of the bubble and blushes out of embarrassment. "Uh, you just be careful and I will go over here." He quietly shuffles away and sits on one of the steps nearby

Connie softy chuckles to herself as Pearl approaches her. She stands behind Connie, gets down on one knee, and guides her through the movements. "Alright, everything begins with your stance...."

As Steven watches carefully, he's interrupted by someone calling his name. He turns around and sees Stevie approaching. "Steven! There you are. I figured you'd be here when I realized Pearl and Connie were gone too." He looked in the distance and saw Connie training with Pearl. He grimaced then grabbed Steven's arm. "C'mon, it's time for our training." Stevie drags him up the steps

"But I thought we weren't training today." Steven protests and looks back over his shoulder

"Yeah? Well I changed my mind." Stevie states

Steven frowns. "Why are you being weird all of a sudden?"

Stevie paused and sighed. "It's...hard to explain. But you'll be much better off if you aren't present for Connie's training. Trust me." He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. The one thing that sticks out to him is what Pearl said to him. He didn't want to go through that again. He couldn't

Stevie felt a tug that snapped him out of his daze. He looked back and realized Steven had slightly pulled his arm. "Hey. We don't have to do anything if you're not up for it."

Stevie chuckled. "I appreciate the offer bud. I bet you're just looking for an excuse to have another day off haha."

Steven put a hand on his hip. "Well I won't deny it." The two laughed together. "Seriously though, I'm looking out for you too. Obviously whatever happens today really bothers you."

Stevie weakly smiles at the boy. "Alright. One more day to relax. But then it's back to work." The two boys walked hand-in-hand out of the arena

* * *

A week had passed and the kids continued training with their respective mentors. Steven got better at summoning his shield while Connie had become an expert swordfighter. He had come to notice a change in Connie's attitude. She was...different. But he couldn't quite understand why. While sitting on the couch, Connie came in for another training session. Steven sprung to his feet. "Connie!"

"Hey Steven." She proceeds to walk past him and steps on the warp pad 

He goes after her. "Connie wait!"

"Huh?" Suddenly Pearl comes walking in from her room in the Temple

She stands next to Connie with her hands folded behind her and prideful look on her face. "Ah, right on time."

Steven speaks up. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure. What's up?" Connie asks, feeling curious

Pearl interrupts her train of thought. "We have important training to do Connie."

She nods. "Yes ma'am." Connie completely ignores Steven and what he has to say. Almost like she's brainwashed. And Pearl has her under her control. Perfect and obedient. Pearl doesn't mean anything bad by it. Quite the opposite actually. Her intentions are in the right place, but she's too wrapped up in her unrequited love for Rose

"She's making great strides, Steven. She's going to be an asset to you." The two warp away to the Sky Arena, leaving Steven alone

He deeply sighs when Stevie walks in. "Hey bud. Why are you so down?"

Steven looks up at him. "Connie is different. She's told me the things Pearl has taught her and I'm really worried."

Stevie's eyes widen at what he heard and his jaw drops. "Oh god no. No no no no no no! We have to go! Right now!" Stevie and Steven step on the warp pad and follow Connie and Pearl

They charge head on into the battlefield and try to find Connie. They can hear the slashes of her sword but Pearl covered the area with fog so neither can see her. It's not until she saves Steven from a holo Pearl that they find her. "Connie!"

Her expression drops upon seeing him. "Steven? Stevie? What are you doing here?"

He runs up and places his hands on her shoulders. "Connie, I don't want you to do this anymore! At least not alone. I don't know what Pearl told you but quit doing this before you get yourself killed!"

She just simply smiles and shakes her head. "No, Steven I understand now. Your legacy, your destiny, you are everything! And I....I am nothing. But I can help you! I can give you my service!"

Steven instantly shook his head. "No I don't want you to! C'mon, we agreed to fight together. Please! I don't want to lose my best friend." He began tearing up

Connie stood stunned with her mouth open. "But I-" He cut her off

"Connie, won't you please share this jam with me?" Steven held out his hand for her. Connie smiled wide and gripped it firmly. They held hands as they prepared to fight their way through the battlefield, as well as Stevie

Steven put up a giant shield to block a group of holo Pearls. He pushed them and sent them flying through the air. Connie scouted ahead and slashed two with a single swing of her sword. Stevie mostly guarded them. Connie signaled for a team-up move. Stevie held his shield and bent over to block a holo Pearl attack as Connie rolled across his back to defeat it

The group readied themselves for more when Pearl suddenly shouted from within the fog. "Steven!!" The fog disappeared and she pulls out her sword. "Don't interfere. She needs to take me on herself!"

Stevie stepped up. "Woah hold on." He put his hands out in front of him

" _You_ stay out of this." She glared at him

Stevie scoffed. "Uh in case you've forgotten, I'm from the future. So yes this does concern me!" He walked towards her, only a few inches between their faces

"You may be from the future but you're still my boy. And I need to protect _him._ " She pointed behind Stevie towards Steven without breaking eye contact 

"Pearl?" The two turned around as Steven spoke up. "Don't make Connie do this. If she's going to fight, then we're going to fight together!"

"That's right!" Connie proudly stated

Pearl scowled. "You shouldn't be anywhere _near_ the fight. You're too important!"

"I am not!" Steven shouted back 

Stevie put a cautious hand out. "Steven no." He whispered 

"Yes you are!!" Pearl retaliated 

"No!!"

Pearl gripped the sides of her head. **_"Why won't you just let me do this for you, Rose?!?!?!?"_**

The children stood there baffled while Stevie cringed. It's not until after she said it that Pearl had realized what she's done. Her metaphorical heart drops and she tries to correct herself. "I...I mean.....let _her....._ do this. Why won't you let Connie do this...for you...." She hangs her head down low and drops her sword. "That's....enough...for today. I'm...going to my room." She walks past the kids and warped away

Stevie grimaced and placed a hand on Steven's back. "C'mon Steven, let's go." All three of them walked back to the house, pondering what to do next


	9. Chille Tid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevie tries to teach Steven how connect with people when he's asleep. It quickly turns into a slumber party

The rest of the day came and went after Pearl’s breakdown. Everyone was still shaken up about it, feeling conflicted. Stevie was silently chastising himself and Pearl. In trying to prevent the trauma, he inadvertently caused it. Now he once again has to play therapist and console the kid. At least Steven will have the help Stevie never got. That’s the one saving grace of this situation

Connie talked to the boys for a little while and then went home. She couldn’t talk to her parents about this. They don’t even know she’s doing sword training. She told them she was studying. Any mention of gem stuff would freak them out. Connie didn’t want that. She can’t stand the idea of never seeing Steven again. It’d break her heart

As for Steven himself, he was feeling conflicted after the incident. So many emotions ran through him. But one thing he knew for certain, he was hurt. Hurt that all Pearl still sees is Rose. His mother. He didn’t like being seen as his mom. Stevie even more so. Steven felt hopeless sometimes. Like he would never live up to the legacy and not be in his mother’s shadow. He wants so desperately to prove himself. To prove that he’s a Crystal Gem too

When Steven had his talk with Stevie that night, he called Connie to come back the next morning. He wanted both of them to talk to Pearl about what happened. Maybe they could sort it out. At least that’s what Steven was hoping for

When that time came, Connie arrived at around 10am. Pearl was doing her usual routine of cleaning the kitchen when she saw the door fly open. “Oh, Connie! What are you doing here? We don’t have training for another few hours.”

Connie was honestly feeling nervous. Though she wasn’t sure why. “Steven invited me over. He wanted to talk to you.” Right on cue Steven came down from his room

“Thanks Connie. Pearl, we gotta talk.” The three of them sat on the couch, Pearl in between the children. Steven exhaled and spoke. “Look, I’m sorry I messed up your training yesterday. But all that ‘You’re nothing’ talk really started to freak me out.”

Pearl felt incredibly guilty about what happened. It just slipped. She never meant to say what she said. “Steven it’s okay. I’m the one that should be apologizing to you. I never should have said that to you or Connie. You’re still kids. You don’t need this...and maybe you don’t need me…”

Steven immediately stopped her dead in her tracks. “Of course we need you Pearl. You’re a Crystal Gem! We’re your family. And….I’ve always thought of you as my mom, not Rose.” Steven blushed

Pearl followed suit and blushed deeply. “Heh, I had no idea. Well I’ll be glad to call you my son.” She ruffled his hair

Connie chimed in. “Hey Pearl? Did Rose ever make you feel like you were nothing?”

Pearl wept slightly with a smile. “Rose made me feel...like I was everything.” She said with love and admiration in her voice. Pearl shook her tears away and spoke. “I see now, how deeply you care for each other. That will make you both great knights!” She wraps an arm around both children with a prideful smile on her face. Pearl was ecstatic. She couldn’t wait to do training with her son and future daughter-in-law

Steven and Connie laugh as Pearl goes on about the different training exercises they’ll be doing. Finally, there was peace

* * *

The next night, the team had a new mission. Find Malachite and rescue Lapis. Everyone sat in a raft, tirelessly searching the bottom of the ocean. Amethyst tried asking Stevie if he knew where she was but just responded with “Sorry, I don’t remember. It felt like forever ago.”

Pearl groaned. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.” She looked over the side of the boat, using her gem as a flashlight. Becoming increasingly frustrated. All the gems had bags under their eyes from working nonstop

“What’s the matter, P? You tired?” Amethyst chided. She had Steven dangling off the side, underwater. Stevie kept an eye on her to make sure Steven wouldn’t drown

Pearl scoffed. “I don’t get tired. I get results.” She was tired but didn’t admit it. She didn’t want any of Amethyst’s shenanigans

As Steven searched his area, he suddenly started gasping for air and wiggling his legs. Amethyst, in her daze, merely watched it all unfold. Stevie immediately rushed to his aid to pull him up. He grabbed his legs and lifted him onto the raft. Steven landed on his back and started coughing up water. Stevie leaned over him. “Are you okay bud?” He asked with sincerity 

Steven nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” He stood up and sat next to Stevie. “ _This_ is why we wear life jackets.” Steven says annoyed

Pearl gasps. “Ah! S-Sorry Steven.”

Suddenly Garnet emerges from underwater and climbs back in the boat. She sighs, feeling defeated. “Nothing.”

Pearl groans once again. “It feels like we’ve been searching for light years!” She throws her hands up in the air in frustration. “And I’m sick of these...life...diapers!” 

Steven gets up to hand a life jacket to Garnet. “Safety is no punchline, Pearl.”

Garnet immediately tosses the life jacket overboard and forms her own. “Safety is our job. We must find Jasper and Lapis. As it stands, their fusion is a ticking time bomb.”

Concern crosses Steven’s face. “Is...Lapis going to be okay?”

Stevie cuts in. “I don’t know where they are now. But I do know they will end up at Mask Island in a few months. Don’t worry Steven, they’ll be okay.” He placed a hand on Steven’s shoulder and smiled slightly

Steven smiled back and nodded. Garnet spoke up. “We need to keep searching. But first, let’s bring Steven home.” She looks over and sees Steven had fallen asleep in the raft

He abruptly wakes up and stands. “No, I’m-I’m-I’m fine! Let’s-Let’s go fishing.” He clumsily walks off the edge of the boat in a daze

Luckily Garnet quickly catches him before he falls in the water. She puts him back and helps paddle back home. Soon all of them walk inside the beach house. Pearl throws her hands in the air. “This is ridiculous. We should be searching!”

“‘Sleep is a curse, and yet a curse I need to live’- Steven Universe.” He says in response

“Steven isn’t like us. He needs rest.” Garnet says

“Don’t you guys need rest too? You look exhausted.” Steven raises an eyebrow

“I’m always relaxed.” Garnet says with clenched teeth. “You guys rest. I’ll keep searching.”

Steven grabs some pillows. “And we can throw some fun in the mix with a slumber party!”

“Then it’s decided.” Garnet walks backwards to the warp pad. “Steven, put these gems to bed. Don’t stay up too late. There’s snacks in the fridge. Bye.” In a flash, Garnet warped away to continue looking

Steven smiled at the others. “Welp, I’m gonna go change. Brb!” He ran up the stairs and changed into his pajamas. When he finished, the others joined him in his room

Stevie sat on the bed and stretched. “Well this’ll be a good opportunity to practice your next power: connecting with other gems.”

“I can do that when I’m asleep?!” Steven questioned

Stevie nodded and Steven smiled in response. “Okay, let’s get this slumber party started. Would anyone care for a slumber companion?” He held out a tray with stuffed animals for each person

Amethyst declined. “I’m good!” She immediately layed on her stomach and went to sleep, snoring loudly in the process

“Pearl?” Steven turned towards her

Pearl also declined. “I’ll pass on the slumber pals.”

“Okay. Sleep it up then!” He sets the tray back down and sits on the floor

“Oh, right.” Pearl sits cross legged with her eyes still open. “Is this right?” She asks

“No you should lay down.”

“I get it now.” Pearl adjusts herself to lay on her stomach and places a pillow under her chin to rest her head. “Am I doing it?”

“Well that’s way better than before. But close your eyes all the way.” Steven said encouragingly 

Pearl did as she was told. “Alright. I’m sleeping now. I’m sleeping.”

“You can’t talk while you sleep.” Steven explained

Pearl looked up and glared at Steven. “How is this even supposed to work?!”

“It’s easy! You just lie down, get nice and comfy. Don’t move and don’t think about anything.”

Stevie interrupted. “Ahem! Well, while she figures that out why don’t we try to figure out that power of yours.” He patted a spot next to him on the bed, enticing Steven to sit. He gladly took the offer. Stevie picked him up as he adjusted to lay down. “Okay. Lay on your back and try to connect to me in my dream. The trick is to make yourself aware that it’s a dream.” He put the kid back down and layed flat on his back. Steven mimicked him

They both fell asleep next to each other. Steven suddenly appeared in his dreamscape as he reopened his eyes. He looked around. “Oh, I must be dreaming.” Steven walked forward on thin air. It was almost like he was levitating. “Alright, need to find Stevie.” As he looked for his mentor, he saw a light in the distance. He shielded his eyes as it was too bright and intense. He continued forward and found himself on the beach. From the sun, it looked to be mid-day. However, it was a little different. The beach house was from Stevie’s perspective. It was much bigger than what Steven is used to. Little Homeschool can be seen in the distance

“Is this...the beach house? It’s so different.” A minute later the ground started shaking. Steven lost his balance and fell to his hands and knees. Periodically, the shaking would get closer and stronger

Steven didn’t see it at first due to the sun intensity but a towering figure stood above him. It wasn’t like anything he’s seen before. Eventually, the figure blocked the sun, revealing itself to Steven. It was a 20 feet tall pink Godzilla-like monster. It studied the kid as he was panting

Steven has never been so scared in his life. The beast suddenly roared right at him. Steven tried to shield himself and screamed

In the real world, Steven sat up with a start. He found himself in a cold sweat, hyperventilating. Stevie gasped and woke up as well. He grabbed Steven and pulled him into a tight hug. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry Steven. I have nightmares sometimes.”

Steven eventually slowed down his breathing. However, he then immediately began crying into Stevie’s shoulder. He held Steven closer. “I was so scared. I felt so alone.”

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. I got you.” Stevie gently rubbed Steven’s head. After a little while, everyone except Stevie was asleep. Amethyst and Pearl were on the floor while Steven was in the bed with Stevie holding him. He kept himself up for a little bit to make sure Steven got some rest. He wasn’t going to risk having another nightmare around him

He almost nodded off when Garnet came back. “Hey Garnet. Anything?”

She shook her head. “We’ll try again tomorrow. For now, let’s all get some rest.” She walks up to a pile of pillows and lands face first on top of them

Stevie looks over and raised an eyebrow. “Oooookay then. I should probably rest too.” He says mid-yawn. Stevie adjusts himself and lays down. Pretty soon, everyone has peacefully drifted asleep


	10. Cry For Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevie stops Pearl from making a huge mistake

Another week passed and Steven was casually watching tv with Stevie. They had a talk one morning about what the boy had witnessed. It took a while and a few sleepless nights, but Steven was finally feeling better about the situation. No nightmares, no anxiety attacks, no tears

Steven was sitting at the edge of the bed, watching Crying Breakfast Friends. While Stevie was only paying half-way attention. He mainly scrolled on his phone and browsing the internet. Every so often, checking to make sure Steven was alright

As the boy was happily enjoying the show, a static interrupted what was on the screen. “Aw man.” Steven whined. Suddenly another broadcast signal appeared. There stood Peridot on the television, calling out to Yellow Diamond. She sent out a message signaling for help

Stevie immediately sat up and inspected it. He called for the other gems and they soon followed suit. Pearl put a hand over her mouth with a thoughtful expression on her face. “Where could Peridot be broadcasting a signal this strong?” She questioned

“There’s only one place. Let’s go.” Garnet proudly answered. Her voice brimming with confidence

Stevie tried calling for Lion but no response. The feline simply yawned and went back to sleep. Stevie tried a different approach. He walked up to Lion and reached out to pet him. “C’mon buddy, it’s me.” Stevie was about to get on when Lion rolled over in retaliation. Being swept off his feet, Stevie landed directly on his butt

Steven snickered beside himself. The teen shot an annoyed glare in response. He dusted himself off as Steven walked towards Lion. The gems got on his back while Steven and Stevie hid in his mane. Steven poked his head out and spoke. “C’mon Lion, take us to where Peridot is broadcasting from!” He submerged into the pocket dimension once again

The feline obeyed and roared, opening a portal. He took a few steps back and jumped through. Almost like he was jumping through a hoop. In a flash, the group landed at the location of the Communication Hub. Lion wasn’t used to carrying so much weight. As soon as they arrived, he fell down to his stomach and huffed out a sigh

Steven poked his head out yet again and gave the tired feline head pats. “Lion, are you okay?” He expressed concern for his pet

The gems stepped off while the boys climbed out of the mane. They all stepped towards the Communication Hub. “It’s as I feared.” Garnet spoke

“It looks like Peridot somehow repaired the Communication Hub….Well, at least some of it.” Pearl added

Steven chimed in. “So...we just gotta wreck it up again, right? You guys should form Sugilite!” He cheerfully spoke with a huge grin on his face. He clenched his fists in excitement

Stevie stepped in. “Oh no, no way.” He shook his head and crossed his arms

“Stevie is right.” Garnet said. “Last time was a disaster. Last time we fused, Sugilite went berserk. It’s because of her that we can’t even warp here anymore.” She points to the shattered warp pad. Broken pieces were scattered all over the place. “I can be brash, you can be reckless. And we can both get carried away. So, for the time being, Sugilite is benched. What we need now is to be careful.” As Garnet spoke, she turned towards Pearl and placed a hand on her shoulder. Steven gasps in the background. “It’s you and me, Pearl. Let’s fuse.”

Pearl smiles and begins to cry. Getting to fuse with Garnet is a privilege. She doesn’t take fusion lightly. Fusion is very special and important to Ruby and Sapphire. So Pearl feels honored that Garnet is even giving her this chance. “Don’t cry Pearl. Come on, let’s do this.”

“I’m right behind you.” Pearl said as she sniffed and wiped away her tears

Steven cheered. “Whoohoo! Fusion!” He ran and sat next to Lion. Stevie chuckled and took a seat next to him

“Ready?” Garnet smiled as her gemstones started to glow

“Hang on. It’s been such a long time.” Pearl said as she stretched. Soon her gem was glowing as well. She began dancing and twirling

Garnet began dancing as well. The two met in the middle and danced together. Garnet then tossed Pearl into the air. She spun a few times in the air and landed back in Garnet’s arms. The two were soon engulfed in a beam of light

From the beam of light, emerged the fusion known as Sardonyx. “Goooood evening everybody! This is the lovely Sardonyx! Coming to you _live_ from the soon-to-be-former Communication Hub! How are y'all doing tonight?” The fusion twirled around as she walked up to the group

“Great.” Amethyst said sarcastically

Sardonyx noticed the two boys. “Oh my stars, if it isn’t Steven Universe!” She picked him up. “We finally meet! So, what do you think? Was I worth the wait? What am I saying, of course I was! Ohohohoho!”

Steven smiled wide and had stars in his eyes. “Wow, you’re so articulated!”

“Well aren’t you just the sweetest little charmer!” Sardonyx uses two of her hands and squishes Steven. He laughs as she does so. “I could literally squish you right now! It would not be hard.” The fusion smiles and finally lets him go. “Sorry, I’m just really excited to be here. “You see, I haven’t exactly been myself lately. Ohohohohohoho!”

The two share a laugh at the fusion joke. Amethyst and Stevie meanwhile groan at the horrendous attempt at humor

“Oh my, who’s this?” Sardonyx looks down at Stevie

He smiles and waves. “Hey Sardonyx. It’s been a while. Well, for me at least.”

“Well, aren’t you just a handsome little thing. Do Pearl and Garnet not fuse very often in the future? I guess you can’t get enough of me! Ohohoho! You flatter me.” Sardonyx blushes slightly 

Stevie chuckles and does the same. “Something like that.”

“Now then, why don’t we get this show started.” She places Steven back on the ground. Sardonyx first summons Pearl’s spear and tosses it in the air. As it comes back down, she summons Garnet’s gauntlets and mashes the two together, creating a giant war hammer

The fusion then proceeds to jump and hit some of the pillars from the tower, in a very precise manner. Once the Communication Hub is down, she hops back to the ground and dissipates her hammer, turning it into light dragonflies. “Now, just remember everybody. If you have need of the lovely Sardonyx, let Pearl and Garnet know. I’ll be there in a flash. Literally.” And just like that, Pearl and Garnet seperate

The two gems laughed and spun around in glee. Steven soon joins them with Stevie walking behind him. They all hugged while Amethyst stayed behind, sulking in the background. “You guys were amazing!” Steven commented

Pearl smiled and blushed slightly. “We were? Oh, well that’s good.”

“We were awesome!” Garnet pumped her fists in the air, excited about how good of a job they did. It was a victory for everyone. They may have finally cornered Peridot. But Stevie knew it was just the beginning

* * *

The next day, Steven was in his room with Garnet, watching more Crying Breakfast Friends. As they were watching the characters on screen, the broadcast signal came up. “It’s the signal again!” Steven shouted as he pointed at the tv screen

Just in that moment, Pearl came walking through the door. Garnet stood up and turned towards her. “Pearl! The signal is back. We need to get back out there!”

Pearl nodded in agreement. “Right. Steven, grab your things. Stevie, where’s Lion? Amethyst, get your head out of the fridge!”

The gem in question sighed and closed the refrigerator door. All 5 of them got on the pink feline. He took a step back and roared ferociously, creating a pink portal. He jumped through it with the gems and hybrids in tow

When they finally landed, Pearl and Garnet positioned themselves to fuse. The rest stood off to the side. Garnet smiled and beckoned to Pearl. “I hope you’re ready.”

“You know I am.” Pearl said in a sly tone

They once again dance and form Sardonyx. The gigantic fusion appears through a dim red light. “What’s this? An encore performance?! Just couldn’t get enough of me, could you? Ohohoho! What are we waiting for? Let the show begin!” She jumped in the air and started smacking the pillars out of their positions

Meanwhile, Amethyst sighs and walks off, feeling left out. She’s always felt incredibly weaker than the others. And fusion was the only thing that made her feel stronger. Needless to say, she was a bit jealous of Pearl. Seeing the two form a connection and fuse, it made her feel small by comparison. Or as a matter of fact, useless

Pearl and Garnet unfused when done and once again celebrated their victory. Seeing them cheer made Stevie remember something. Something that he had blocked out for quite some time. Of course he almost had completely forgotten about one of the more traumatizing moments in his life

He didn’t want to face it but he had no choice. The thought sent chills up his spine. He’ll be dreading this, but he has to do it. For him and his younger self’s sake

That night, he caught Pearl sneaking out of the house. Stevie followed her closely behind. When they reached the Communication Hub, he called out to her and stopped her dead in her tracks. “Pearl!”

She flinched and quickly turned around. Her face in a state of shock. “Stevie?! What are you doing here?” She spoke with nervousness in her voice

Stevie walked up and crossed his arms. “Keeping you from making a big mistake. I know what you’re doing here."

Pearl folded her hands and chuckled anxiously. I guess the jig was up. “I-I guess you caught me, huh? Please don’t tell anyone.”

He placed his hands on his hips. “Oh I won’t. But _you_ will. Pearl, you have to stop thinking about mom all the time. She’s gone. And there’s nothing you can do about it. You need to start living your own life and stop blaming Steven!”

Pearl sighed and looked down in defeat. “You’re right. How’d you get to be so smart?” She tearfully smiled at him

“I have experience.” Stevie smiled back and nervously rubbed the back of his head

The two walked back to the house together. When they arrived, the rest were sitting on the couch. All eyes were on Stevie and Pearl as soon as they entered. Steven smiled big and waved at both of them

Stevie cleared his throat and spoke. “Everyone, Pearl has something she would like to say.” Pearl looked over at him and twiddled her thumbs. He smiled and gently encouraged her. “Go on.”

She took a deep breath and stepped towards Garnet. The said gem stood up as well. The two faced each other, making direct eye contact. “Garnet, I’m sorry. It was me.”

Garnet’s expression dropped into shock. “I don’t understand.”

“I fixed the hub! It really was Peridot the first time. It’s just...it’s so much fun being Sardonyx with you.”

Garnet’s face shifted yet again to one of anger. She clenched her fists. “You tricked me!” She began intimidatingly walking towards Pearl, who started stepping back in fear at the same time

“No no no no no no! We just needed a reason to fuse! I just wanted to share a few more victories with you!” Pearl was cornered by Garnet with her back against the wall

“Those weren’t victories! Peridot is out there somewhere and you’ve been distracting us with...NOTHING!!” Their faces were inches from touching as Garnet pointed a finger at Pearl

Garnet quickly looked over her shoulder. “Amethyst, fuse with me! We’ll go handle this.”

Amethyst stood up from her seat in shock. “But-” Garnet cut her off

“Let’s just get this over with.”

Garnet and Amethyst hopped onto Lion by themselves and warped to the hub. Meanwhile, Pearl was absolutely mortified

Stevie looked over at her with a sorrow expression. “Pearl, you okay?” But the gem said nothing. All she could do was stand there. She then closed her eyes and shook her head. With her heart full of regret, she walked to her temple room in silence

Steven made eye contact with Stevie, a mournful expression on his face. No one else said a word for the rest of the night


	11. Keystone Motel (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet separates into Ruby and Sapphire and trouble ensues

All was dim in the beach house. Garnet and Pearl barely spoke to each other after what happened between them. But who can blame Garnet. She felt totally violated and used. She trusted Pearl and she broke that trust. Everyone understood why Garnet was so upset. Even Pearl herself. She doesn't have a good excuse as to why she did it. There was no good reason. She just did it for her own selfish desires. Not thinking about the consequences that might come from it. Now Pearl has hurt one of her closest friends, her family

Steven was taking it pretty hard as well. He didn't want to speak with anyone. Not even Stevie. It wasn't because he was mad. He was more depressed than anything else. He mostly stayed in his room during the day. Steven would lay in his bed, watching tv and only get up to eat or use the bathroom. If he wasn't watching tv or playing games, he was sleeping. He hated seeing his family fight like this. It made his chest physically hurt. Stevie would try to make him feel better but nothing worked. He tried getting Steven to talk, nope. He brought Steven his favorite food, nada. No matter what he did, Steven refused to say or do anything. He was...stuck. Amethyst tried to help as well but no results. Steven was acting like this for 4 straight days

Until finally one faithful day. Pearl warped back home after looking for Peridot. She thought if she captured her, Garnet would forgive her. It was worth a shot. Anything to get the family working together again. She was desperate by this point. She needed to prove her worth this time. To everyone. Steven heard the warp pad activate and looked over. When he saw who it was, he leapt off the bed and ran to her. "Pearl! Where have you been?" He asked

Pearl flinched at his sudden approach. She then looked down in defeat and twiddled her fingers. "Uh looking for Peridot. For a few days straight. Steven, I know I might have...disappointed all of you. I know Garnet is very upset with me. But I'm going to prove to her that she can trust me again." This has got to work. It has to! If it doesn't then......

Just then, Garnet walked through the door. You could feel the tension in the air and the anger radiating off her. The two froze in place for a moment, not sure what to do. It's almost like they are silently being judged. Specifically Pearl. Steven just merely stood there mortified. Pearl finally had the courage to speak up. "Oh! Garnet! I was _just_ looking for Peridot. She's bound to be somewhere, right? Any new ideas?" She smiles anxiously. Garnet says nothing and continues to walk past her. Pearl looks down in sorrow. "I'm sorry..." The fusion stops and pauses. It looks like she's about to say something when they get interrupted 

Greg comes bursting through the door with a pamphlet in hand. "Who wants to go on a ROAD TRIIIIP?!" He says with a smile on his face. The rest glare at him with shock and sorrow on their faces. Great, now things are even more awkward. "Uh is this a bad time?" He quickly changes his tone and facial expression. Greg may be oblivious from time to time but he can definitely read a room. And this was a room filled with all sorts of tension

Garnet turns and faces Greg. "No. Please continue." She said in a monotone voice. Barely able to keep herself together

Greg is a little caught off guard by her sudden interest in the subject. He thought for sure that he had unbelievably bad timing. But if Garnet insisted, who was he to say no. At first he tripped over his words a bit. "O-Oh. Well, I gotta drive over to the next state, Keystone."

"You mean the Keystone state?" Pearl chimed in

"Right, the state named Keystone. I met a guy on an internet message board who's selling car wash brushes for real cheap! I just gotta meet him in Keystone and pick them up." He grinned as he spoke. Excited that he found such a good deal

Steven grimaced. "I don't like those brushes, they feel weird on your fur." He rubbed his arm as if scratching it. Most likely recalling the horrific incident when he turned into a giant cat monster. It sent shivers down his spine

"Well, do you like motels?"

"Probably!" Steven said with a smile. He was excited to finally get out of the house and spend time with his father

"Think you'd like to stay at a motel with your favorite dad?"

Steven put a hand up to his chin jokingly. "I don't know if you're my _favorite_..." He teased

"What? Oh, you kidder! Come here!" Greg extends his arms

Steven gladly jumps into them, happy to be embraced by his dad. "I can't wait to get room service!"

"You're thinking of a _hotel_ , we're going to a _motel_. It'll have a pool, free ice, and it's right next to _The Best Diner in the World!_ " Greg says to inspire confidence into Steven. He always loved making things fun for him. And Steven was so naive sometimes that it wasn't that hard to do

"I'm coming too." Garnet says, much to everyone's surprise 

Steven smiles and gasps. "Yay!" He pumps a fist in the air

Suddenly in the distance, you can hear a toilet flushing. Everyone turns and looks towards the bathroom door. A moment later it slides open, revealing Stevie. "Whew, no one may want to use the bathroom for a while." He looks up and is left completely stunned. Greg was in shock as well. The two stared at each other in awe. Neither of them knew what to do. Time was frozen in place. The others just simply glanced between the two, feeling a bit awkward about the whole situation. "...Dad?" Stevie was finally able to muster

Greg still stood frozen, blinking a few times. He couldn't believe what he was seeing was real. Was this really his son? "Steven? Wait, that doesn't make any sense." He looked down at the Steven in his arms. " _You're_ my son."

Steven glanced at his father. "Dad I know this sounds crazy, but that's me from the future." His eyes look desperate. "Please dad. Believe me." 

Greg pauses for a minute before putting Steven back down on the ground. Stevie and Greg face each other, staring into each other's eyes. Then Greg slowly makes his way towards him. One step at a time. When he's only two feet away from Stevie, he reaches out a hand and touches his cheek. "St-Steven? Is it really you?" He rubs Stevie's cheek with his thumb, caressing it

Stevie smiles softly. "Yeah dad, it's me." His smile gets wider as tears form in his eyes. "I've missed you so much." He chuckles and rushes in for a hug. Seeing his father again for the first time in weeks is so surreal for him. It's liberating. He feels like he can breathe a little. He finally feels at home

After a moment, Greg finally returns the hug. He smiles and holds him tight. They held the hug for a couple minutes before letting go. Greg grabbed Stevie by the shoulders and grinned. "I can't believe it! You grew up! You look great bud." He said with pride

Stevie blushed. "Thanks dad." The two share one last moment with each other 

Then Greg turns back to Steven and clasps his hands together. "Well then...road trip!"

"Road trip!' Steven repeats and pumps a fist in the air

"I'm coming too." Stevie declared with a smile 

Steven gasps. "Even better!" He runs up and hugs Stevie's legs

Pearl steps up. "Wonderful! I'll make sure Amethyst knows that..." She trails off after noticing Garnet walking out the front door. She tries to force a smile. "Fine. Well...goodbye!" She begins to walk off into another room

Steven looks up at Stevie. "This is going to be fun, right?" He says cheerfully 

Stevie tries to mask his worry and strains to smile. "Uhh sure bud. It'll be great." He gives the boy a pat on the back. He glances back up at Greg who also has a worried look on his face

The three of them proceeded to pack a few essentials for the day they would be at the motel. After they were done, everyone got in the van and drove off. Steven was the only one truly excited about the trip. Everyone else was either concerned or in Garnet's case, unrest. Greg drove with Stevie in the passenger seat and Steven with Garnet in the backseat. As they were headed out of Beach City, everyone tried making small talk with each other. Although Garnet didn't want to talk very often. She'd rather just stay quiet. So mostly the rest talked amongst each other. Stevie and Greg took that time to get to know each other a little better. With Steven chiming in every once in a while. It quickly became a fun ride for all three of them

Later on that evening, all had quieted down in the car. Nothing but the wind and the sound of other cars passing by. Steven had fallen asleep, resting his head on the door. Garnet made sure to keep an eye on him, per Stevie's request. Greg meanwhile, was still driving and fighting to stay awake. Stevie heard him yawn and took notice. He looked over at him and gently smiled. "Dad, why don't you let me drive for a while. You need some rest."

"A-Are you sure?" He asked

"Yeah. Pull over." Greg did as he was told and swerved to the side of the road. When it came to a stop, the two unbuckled their seatbelts and switched seats. Stevie took a deep breath and placed both hands on the wheel. Soon they were back on the road and Greg was sound asleep in the passenger seat. Stevie drove for the remainder of the trip

A few hours later, they finally arrived at their destination. As Stevie pulled up to the motel, Steven slowly sat up from his position. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Are we there yet?" He said still groggy 

Stevie nodded. "Yep. We just got here." He parked in front of the room they would be staying in and turned off the engine

Greg opened the door and took off his seatbelt. "I'll go get our key." He stepped out of the vehicle and went to the front office to check-in. When he got back, everyone got out of the van and walked into the motel room, with Garnet carrying the bags. Greg unlocks the door and opens it up. The room has two beds with brown bed sheets, a light brown carpet, a nightstand in between the beds, and a wooden entertainment center with a small tv sitting on top

Steven gasps in awe. "I'm gonna swim in the pool, order a movie, get free ice! It's gonna be great!" He runs and jumps on one of the beds, bouncing a little

Greg starts panicking slightly. "Not before we check for bed bugs, it isn't!" He runs over to Steven and inspects the sheets franticly. "Good news! We're bugless!" In that moment, his phone vibrates and lights up. He takes it out and checks it. "Oh, that's my cue. Hey Stevie, do you mind holding down the fort until I get back?"

Stevie gave a thumbs up. "No problem." He said confidently 

"Great." He says as he walks towards the door. "I'm going to see a man about a tunnel brush. An _internet_ man. If I'm not back in an hour, call the police." On that note, Greg closed the door

Steven simply shrugged it off and continued with what he was doing. "Stevie, Garnet, bounce with me!" He started jumping up and down on the king size bed, smiling wide

Stevie watched for a moment. "Well, someone is hyper tonight. C'mere!" He sprinted up to the bed and jumped facing back first. He managed to catch Steven mid-air and landed safely on the bed. Stevie held him as the two laughed together. This is the happiest either of them have felt in a while. They tried to enjoy it while it lasts. Meanwhile, Garnet's body begins twitching a little. Stevie glances over and soon notices. Worry builds up in his chest. "Uh, are you okay Garnet?"

She starts mumbling something under her breath. No one could make out what it was she said. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. The fusion separated into who were known as Ruby and Sapphire. One remained the cool and level-headed one and the other was the fiery hot-head. Two polar opposites but madly in love with each other. Except for right now. Sapphire floated in the air with her back towards Ruby. While Ruby sat on the ground, gripping the sides of her head. Sapphire is the first to speak. "We must move past this, Ruby." She said in a calm voice 

Ruby didn't appreciate how collected Sapphire appeared to be about this. "She lied to us so we'd form Sardonyx! She _tricked_ us! Don't you feel used?!" She desperately wanted Sapphire to understand her point of view

Steven suddenly notices the two small gems on the floor. His eyes light up. "Ruby! Sapphire!" The pair completely ignores him and continue their argument 

"You're choosing to take it personally." Sapphire gently spoke again

Ruby couldn't believe what she just heard. She never thought Sapphire would say something like that so nonchalantly. "It's **fusion** , Sapphire! What's more personal to us than **fusion**?!?!" She jumps to her feet in shock

"I know you're still upset." She acknowledges how Ruby is feeling. And she understands where she's coming from. Sapphire is upset too. She just has a different way of showing it. She tends to be more distant and cut-off. She tries to focus on a solution rather than the problem 

"Oh, so it's just _me?_ " Ruby folds her arms. She felt completely alone in this instance. Like Sapphire didn't care about her feelings. Deep down she knew it wasn't true but that's how she felt in the moment 

"Of course not." Sapphire turns to finally face Ruby. "Can't you see I'm completely engulfed with rage?" She says in a monotone voice. Why wouldn't she be upset about this? Fusion is the most important thing to them. It's how they first fell in love. Pearl took advantage of that. It'd be hard to forgive her. But not impossible 

"Well, it doesn't _feel_ like it." Ruby puts her hands on her hips and taps her foot impatiently. She can barely keep her anger under control. Like she could explode at any given moment

Sapphire begins to levitate once again. "The sooner we forgive Pearl, the better it will be for us all." She did have a point. They have to forgive her eventually. It's only a matter of time before they got to move on with their lives

"You're not as above this as you think you are!" Ruby spat as steam rose from her head. She clenched her fists and grunted in anger. She was tired of Sapphire's nonsense and just wanted to release her fury

"Yes, I am." Sapphire floats up and lands on the bed behind her, patiently waiting for Ruby to calm down

At this point, Ruby is seething with anger. She begins pacing back and forth on the carpet, leaving charred footprints in the process. She can barely stand anything right now. For the time being, she can't decide who she's more angry with. Sapphire is a very close second right now. And speaking of, Sapphire adds more 'wisdom'. "You can't stay angry with her forever."

Ruby stops dead in her tracks and points up at her. "Wanna bet?" She says with a grimace

"Ruby, the carpet." Sapphire has always been quick to spot when Ruby accidentally sets something in smoke or on fire. They kept each other grounded that way

Ruby grunted in anger and stormed out the room, slamming the door behind her. A loud BAM shook through the building, rocking the lamp and pictures on the wall. Steven and Stevie merely watched as everything unfolded. A dumbfounded expression on each of their faces. Silence filled the air for a moment. Until Steven finally started to move. "I'm...going for a swim in the pool." He climbed off the bed, took off his shirt, and grabbed a towel on his way out

Stevie sat up and awkwardly crossed his legs. He paused before speaking to Sapphire. "Nice to...see you again." He glanced over before quickly turning his head back to its original position 

"Nice to see you too." Sapphire said bluntly 

* * *

Meanwhile, Steven is walking towards the pool and spots Ruby pacing next to it. He nervously approaches her. "Uh, hey Ruby. You wanna swim in the pool?" But the gem completely ignores his question

"It's _fusion_ , Steven! It's like Sapphire doesn't even care! And we're supposed to be the bigger gem about this. We're ALWAYSthe bigger gem! Well not _this_ time!" She thrusted her arms up in the air while continuing to pace

Steven tried his best to calm her in the only way he knew how. "Come on, w-why don't you come cool down in the pool?" He took a couple steps back, readying himself to jump. After a brief moment, he ran forward and did a cannonball in the swimming pool. The water splashed over the edge, causing Ruby to be wary

She then turned away and clenched her fists. "I don't need to 'cool down'." A bit of malice in her voice 

"Come on, Ruby! The water's niiice." Steven said while he smirked. Ruby hesitated before finally giving in to Steven's request, albeit reluctantly. She continued ranting on and walked to the bottom of the pool. Her body temperature began heating up the pool. Steven raised an eyebrow before grinning. "Uhh Ruby?...You made a warm spot." The pool got progressively warmer. "Aaaa hot spot! Boiling!" He quickly climbs out of the pool. His skin completely burned and red from the heat. He was gonna feel that later. He decided to give up on swimming for now. "Uhh, I'm gonna go back to the room." He held his arms out to his side and walked back to the motel

He reached for the knob when the door suddenly swung open from the other side. It revealed Stevie, shivering from the icy cold room. His nose even had cold mucus running from it. In trying to stay calm, Sapphire had covered the entire room in a frost. Steven noticed how cold Stevie was and cocked his head to the side in question. "What happened in there?"

Stevie sniffed and answered. "I-It's a long st-story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to cut it off cuz it was already getting too long. To be continued


	12. Keystone Motel (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Sapphire try to work out their issues

Stevie and Sapphire sat in silence in the motel room. Neither having anything to say to each other. At first, Stevie just browsed through the tv channels. Trying to at least have a bit of background noise. It makes things less awkward. But Stevie can take it only for so long. There was too much tension floating in the air. He finally spoke up. "Hey Sapphire, you doing okay?"

She didn't make eye contact and responded bluntly. "I'm fine." Ice started forming on the wall behind her. She was definitely holding something back

Stevie could tell right away. After doing the same thing himself for so long, he was able to pick up on the signs. He raised an eyebrow at the gem and questioned her further. "Are you sure? It seems like you're just as upset as Ruby is." 

Once again, she didn't look over at him. "I'm sure. Ruby is letting her emotions get the better of her. She'll calm down eventually."

Stevie pressed on. "I get that but what about you? How do you feel about everything?"

"I told you, I'm fine." The room suddenly got a lot colder. Stevie started getting chills. "I have seen the path up ahead. Ruby can't stay mad at Pearl forever and she can't stay mad at _me_ forever. She is just delaying the inevitable. Soon she'll come back and see that I was right."

"So, you have your emotions under control?" Stevie asked

"Yes." Soon the entire room was covered in ice. The walls were frosted over. Sapphire was barely able to hold herself together. She kept everything bottled up and hidden deep inside. Locked up tight

"R-Right. O-Okay." He began trembling and his nose was running. He hugged himself to try to stay warm. It wasn't very effective. After a moment had passed, he finally got up from his spot on the bed. "I-I'm going out-outside." He walked to the now frozen door and opened it. When he swung it open, he found Steven staring up at him. His skin was all red and burnt to a crisp

The two stared at each other until Steven spoke up. "What happened in there?"

Stevie sniffed and answered. "I-It's a long st-story. Wh-What happened t-to y-you?"

Steven had the same response. "Also a long story." He handed Stevie the towel in his hand. "Here. You need this more than I do."

Stevie wrapped the warm towel around his ice cold body. "Thanks." Then he thought of something. "Actually, I got a better idea." He stepped over and sat on the curb, leaning against the wall. "Come here bud." Steven did as he was told and walked towards Stevie. When he was close enough, Stevie grabbed him and pulled the towel over both of them. Steven sat comfortably in Stevie's lap, feeling safe and warm. The boy leaned against his chest. Stevie kept his arms wrapped around him, holding him close

After a few minutes, Greg pulled up in the van. The two boys on the ground shielded their eyes from the blinding headlights. Greg came out with a pizza box in hand. "Hey guys. I brought dinner!" When he realized that they were outside, he began questioning. "Why you sitting on the ground? And where's Garnet?"

Stevie answered. "Check the room." Greg did so and found the freezing room with a frigid Sapphire on the bed. He closed the door and winced

Steven chimed in. "And I think Ruby is still pacing around in what used to be the pool." Stevie got up from his spot with Steven in hand and sat next to his father on the edge of the van

Greg anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. "Yikes. Something pretty serious must be going on if it made Garnet split up. But hey, we can still have a great time!" He opened the pizza box and everyone took a slice

Steven hesitated and sighed. "Why can't Ruby and Sapphire just...make up?"

Greg responded. "Sometimes people that love each other can hurt each other's feelings without meaning to. We should just give them some space." Steven was silent after that and simply ate his piece of pizza. When everyone was done, Greg smacked his hands together and stood up. "Well with the room being frozen solid, looks like we'll be sleeping in the van tonight."

"Aw come on! Why'd we even come?!" Steven whined

Stevie spoke up. "Or we could spend some time de-thawing it. I know it's not very practical but if you're that willing to sleep in a bed, we can try." He smiled softly 

After giving it some thought, Steven answered. "Yeah, alright." They all got up and braced themselves for entering the freezing motel room. To their surprise, it wasn't as bad as before. There was still a good chunk of ice on the wall but less than what it was. Sapphire must have calmed down. The three took turns with a blowdryer and melted the frost. It took almost an hour to clear it all off. They put the blowdryer back and got ready for bed

Steven and Stevie decided to share a bed while Greg took the other bed. Once their father was settled, Steven got in, with Stevie snuggled close to him. He held Steven close to his chest and wrapped his arms around him. Steven was already pretty tired after de-frosting the room so it didn't take long for him to fall asleep. Stevie laid still for a little bit and listened to the sound of Steven's breathing. It helped him relax. Soon his eyelids grew heavy and with a smile on his face, he drifted to sleep

* * *

The next morning Steven, Greg, Stevie, Ruby, and Sapphire all made their way to a diner for breakfast. Of course Ruby and Sapphire weren't going to eat anything, they were too busy being mad at each other. It was only the other three who ordered food. They all got the same thing: scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. As they ate, Ruby and Sapphire continued to argue. Then Ruby started impatiently shaking the table. Sapphire spoke up. "You're shaking the table."

Ruby glares at her. "Ha! I'm kinda surprised you felt anything at all, to be honest!"

"I didn't need to feel. I saw." She said bluntly 

Ruby shook the table more violently. "Everything is just so...crystal clear to you, isn't it?!?!" As she continues to shake the table, the three lift up their plates of food to prevent it from falling on the ground 

Sapphire ignores Ruby's tantrum and speaks directly to the others. "This will pass. She'll eventually just burn herself out."

Suddenly Ruby stops and stands up on her seat. "That's what _you_ think!" She then summons a gauntlet on one hand. "I am an eternal flame, baby!!!" Ruby smashes the table, causing everything on it to spill. The two gems continue arguing in the background as Steven looks down at the mess on the floor. This was the final straw. Steven was fed up with all of it. He can't take it anymore. All the arguing and fighting was too much for him to deal with. He ends up smashing the plate in his hands with tears in his eyes. Once he started walking away, the gems suddenly stopped bickering long enough to notice

Stevie tried to call after him but to no avail. The gems then followed him out of the diner. They both repeated his name. Steven stopped and turned around in frustration. "I was so happy when Garnet said she was gonna come on this trip with me, dad, and Stevie! Home's been _awful_! Here's been _awful_! I thought you wanted to have a fun time but everyone's been acting awful too! It-It just came with us! I don't understand! Is it...is it me?" Steven looks down at his feet, feeling dejected. He can't help but feel he's partly responsible for their attitude

However, Ruby quickly debunks this line of thinking. "No! Steven, it's all us!"

Sapphire directs her attention to Ruby. "But we made him feel like it was his fault. I keep looking into the future when all of this has already been solved. As if it doesn't matter how you feel in the present. No wonder you think I don't care!" She starts breaking down in tears

Ruby suddenly felt really bad about her behavior. "Sapphire. No no no no no no no no! This is all _my_ fault! I-I didn't want to look for a solution, I-I just wanted to be mad! Y-You're right! You're always right! I was being stupid!"

"I don't think you're stupid!" She suddenly shouted. Tears streamed down her face

Ruby stepped closer and wiped away the tears. "I'm...sorry." She brushed back her hair to reveal Sapphire's singular eye. Ruby places her other hand on her cheek

"You honestly think I'm not upset about what happened? I was just...trying to do the right thing." Ruby wiped away more tears

"I know." Sapphire takes a deep sigh and brings Ruby's hand closer to her face. There's a small pause before anyone says anything. Then Ruby softly smiles. "You know what's nice about being split up?"

"What?"

"I get to look at you." Ruby says with a sly smile

Sapphire suddenly bursts out laughing at what her love said. "Be serious."

Ruby wraps her arms around her. "There's my Laughy Sapphy." She says with a bigger smile than before 

Sapphire blushes deeply out of embarrassment. "Shh! You're embarrassing me in front of Steven!" Ruby pulls her in closer. She then picks her up, tosses her in the air, and kisses her all over her face and neck passionately. They have finally rekindled their love for one another. No more fighting or arguing. Simply pure bliss. Steven shields his eyes out of slight embarrassment and lays on the ground, releasing a sigh

Stevie and Greg come out of the diner as Ruby and Sapphire continue laughing. "Hey schtuball, I paid for breakfast...and the booth. How about we call it a day?" Greg said

Steven opened his mouth as if to say something when a bright glow interrupted him. Amidst the light was Garnet, back together again. She smiled and adjusted her visor. "Not before we get our free ice."

"Garnet!" Steven shouted, starry-eyed. They all stopped to get a bag of ice before making their way back to the van. It was another long drive back, and this time there was no tension in the car. Everyone including Garnet had a good time. Greg drove all the way back. Garnet sat in the passenger seat this time and the two boys were in the back, teasing each other and laughing

When they finally arrived back home, Pearl and Amethyst were seen talking on the couch. Steven announced their presence, abruptly ending what ever conversation they were having. Pearl stood up and greeted them. "Oh! Uh you look like you all had fun."

Steven gleefully skipped to her. "Yeah! It all worked out." Then he promptly made his way upstairs 

Pearl noticed Garnet standing behind all of them and tried to speak to her. "Garnet, how are you?"

Garnet had thought about this interaction in the car. She thought over and over again about what she would say. She wasn't quite ready to forgive Pearl yet but she wasn't as mad anymore. Ruby and Sapphire had finally sorted through their feelings with each other. Now all was left was to take action. That was easier said than done. Ultimately, Garnet decided she isn't ready for a full conversation yet. So she put a hand up in front of Pearl and said "Not now." And walked away

"She's speaking to me...kinda." Pearl said with a bit of hope in her voice. Then she walked into another room

Stevie turns towards Greg and places a hand on his shoulder. "That was a fun trip, dad."

Steven can be heard gasping from his room. "Can we go back?!"

Greg rubs the back of his neck. "Maybe one day. But not to that diner." He chuckles nervously 

Soon Greg goes back to the car wash and things continue as normal. Except Steven is much happier. He can finally rest easy a bit knowing that his family is working things out


	13. Friend Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet and Pearl make up

Steven was in much higher spirits after the trip to the motel, even though it started out badly. Him and Stevie had a chat about everything that had transpired. They talked about how it would all work out eventually and they would be a happy family again. It put Steven's mind at ease knowing this. Which also made Stevie feel at ease. If Steven was happy, he was happy

Stevie was starting to feel more at home lately. He wasn't sure what changed. Maybe it was the effects of altering the past. Or maybe because he was beginning to see his younger self as a little brother. Frankly he didn't care either way. All that mattered was he was feeling more comfortable in his environment and he could not be happier. He enjoyed every bit of time he's spent with Steven. And Steven felt the same way about him. They were much happier with each other. Best buds

Over the course of the week, Steven would go around town to take his mind off everything. He and Amethyst took a trip to Vidalia's place. Which wouldn't have been his first choice considering Onion was there. It's not that Steven didn't like Onion. Sometimes he just made him feel...uncomfortable. Onion can come on a bit strong but he means well. He just wants friends. The other person Steven visited in his endeavor was Jamie. He was making a play about the founding of Beach City and Steven offered his assistance. At first it was going smoothly. However, Pearl got involved and tweaked the story to be more historically accurate. Everything ended up working out in the long run. Both Pearl and Stevie attended the showing. Being the supportive big brother and mother figure respectively. It was a pleasant night for all of them

Overall, Steven had a great time with his friends. It was nice for him to get out of the house. It helped with his mental health and wellbeing. Then one day, Pearl figured out a way to track Peridot. Soon they figured out where she was going. Guess it was back to work. They prepared to warp to the Galaxy Warp, where Peridot was, and planned to catch her this time. Maybe they'll get lucky. That's what Pearl hoped. When they all arrived, Peridot was piecing back together a broken warp pad. Pearl got excited when they finally spotted her. "Oh! Look, I was right! My plan worked perfectly!"

Peridot nearly jumped in the air by how startled she was. "What?! How did you know I was here?!" She was amazed at how quickly they were able to find her. Gotta be extra careful next time

"We found a secret way to track you! And we'll never tell you how, even if you ask nicely!" Steven proclaimed. He taunted the gem by sticking out his tongue

Stevie cracked his knuckles and got into a fighting stance. "Stay right there Peridot. And no one gets hurt-"

Pearl interrupted him and jumped in front, shouting. "You'll never get away with this!" 

"Pearl!" Stevie shouted at her

Peridot narrowed her eyes and glanced between the two boys. "Uh why are there two of you?"

"It's a long story." Steven answered as he shrugged 

The enemy gem groaned. "I don't have time for this! Don't you gems have anything better to do than annoy me?!"

Amethyst responded. "Nope. We're gonna-"

Pearl once again interrupted and got in the way. "Prepare to be annoyed!"

Peridot uses her fingers to charge up a energy blast. "This planet has an expiration date and I'm not gonna stick around to find out when." She aims at the group and fires. However the blast knocked her back and she ended up missing her target. The explosive instead hit the pillar behind them. Before the debris could land on them, Steven whipped out his shield and protected everyone

Pearl glares over at Peridot and bares her teeth. "That's it! I'm taking her out!" She summons her spear and runs head first to Peridot. Garnet tries to stop her but to no avail. The enemy gem fires off a beam, completely immobilizing Pearl. She swings her around and throwing her back into Steven. The impact causes him to fall and lose his shield. But in a flash, Stevie pulls out his shield and catches the pillar

Amethyst growls and uses her spin dash to chase after Peridot. Unfortunately, she jumps and dodges the attack. "Hahahaha you missed!"

"Pearl!" Steven pushes her off of him and chases after Peridot. Maybe he could succeed 

Peridot scuttles away onto another warp pad. She tries to use it but it still refuses to function. "Agh! Does anything work on this cruddy planet?!"

Steven summons his shield once again as he's running. "I do!" He shouts while flinging it towards Peridot like a frisbee. The shield hits her square in the face

She places her hands over her face, covering the injured area. "Ow!" Peridot cries out

Garnet sees Stevie losing his handle on the pillar and runs over to aid him. She quickly grabs it with her gauntlets and gets in position. "Amethyst! Catch!" She tosses the pillar into the air. Amethyst pulls out her whip, wraps it around the pillar and slams it down on Peridot. The impact sends the enemy gem flying through the air

Pearl takes this opportunity to catch her mid-air. "I got her! I got her! I got her!" She runs with her arms outstretched, trying to steady herself to make the catch. Meanwhile Garnet puts her gauntlets away and walks backwards with her arms outstretched, also trying to catch Peridot. The two gems end up colliding into each other and missing entirely. Peridot barely escapes using her helicopter fingers

"Pearl!" Garnet yells as they are both on the floor. "Get off me!"

She does exactly that and immediately stands up. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Pearl tries to help her back up but then recoils at Garnet's expression 

Peridot flies to a functional warp pad and lands on it. "Wow. This is just sad. I almost feel sorry for you." She mimics Steven's taunt from earlier and warps away, leaving them all in stunned silence

Steven breaks the silence and waves. "Have a great weekend!" He says joyfully. Everyone else simply glares at him. "I mean, I hope her weekend is...not so great?"

Stevie sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Let's just go home." The group all made their way to the warp pad and headed back to the beach house, feeling defeated

When they arrive at their destination, Pearl stepped off and walked towards Peridot's broken escape pod in the middle of the room. She crouches down and begins tinkering with it. "Okay, I realize that was a bit of a fiasco. But there's a silver lining to this! Now we know for sure that we can track her every movement! Whenever she uses the warp system, her escape pod will instantly detect exactly where she is. It's only a matter of time until we catch her, and when we do, we'll be able to close this chapter and finally move on! Right?" She turns towards Garnet who stays silent. Pearl waits for an answer but to no avail. The rest felt tense from all the apprehension in the air. All was silent for a moment 

Until finally Stevie spoke up. "Uh, maybe there's something you two need to talk about?" Before more could be said, the alarm on the escape pod suddenly goes off and a panel opens up revealing a screen

Pearl places her hand on the panel, causing her eyes to display tons of data on them. She then projects an image from her gem. The image is a globe showing a specific location. "It's Peridot. She's using the warps right now. Look! This is where she is. We got her for sure this time." Pearl begins walking to the warp pad. "If she thinks she's got the upper hand, then she's got another thing coming. And that's us!" Garnet and Amethyst follow closely behind her

Steven and Stevie stood there silently for a moment, wondering what to make of the situation. Steven looked up at him and strained a smile. "Well...at least Pearl is optimistic." He shrugged 

Stevie looked down at the boy and quietly chuckled. "I know that look all too well. It's okay Steven. You don't have to force yourself to be positive all the time." He ruffled Steven's hair as he dropped his shoulders down. "And it won't matter anyway. What she's doing isn't going to change anything." Steven let out a long sigh. Another moment of silence. "Come on bud. Let's get going." Stevie put a hand on his back and ushered him to the warp pad while Steven looked down at his feet

When everyone was on, they warped to Peridot's location. The group ended up at an abandoned gem ship in the middle of the jungle. Steven looked at the distant ship in awe. "Ha! She's desperate. Look at this! She's cornered herself in there!" Pearl cheered. "We've got her just where we want her." 

"What is-" Before Steven could finish his question, Pearl jumped in

"Excellent question Steven!" She seemed overly excited about this. "What we see before us is an ancient interplanetary gem vessel. Homeworld gems used these ships to travel across the cosmos and land here on Earth before the warp pads were built. But these ships landed here so long ago that there's no way they can be functional. Peridot's running out of options"

Garnet then groans out of frustration. "Pearl! We can't waste time. Let's focus on the task at-"

Yet again she gets interrupted by Pearl. She took a few steps ahead and struck a pose. "Ah, yes! The task at hand! No more dawdling, let's go get Peridot!" Pearl then continued walking towards the ship. Everyone else just collectively ignored what happened and followed her. The inside of the ship was covered in vines and greenery. It was really worn down and beat up. Like it suffered from a major attack. The group walked up to a control panel with a giant projector above it

Suddenly the screen lights up, revealing Peridot's face on it. Her evil laughter echoes through the room. "You gems are as dull as dirt."

Pearl takes the initiative. " _You're_ the dull one if you think you can fly this wreck!"

Her voice briefly echoes in the background as Peridot stared blankly for a moment. The gem then cackles at her. " _Fly_?! I'm not using this vessel to fly! I'm using it to _trap you_!" Without warning, the entrance to the ship closes behind them. "Isn't this nice. No more Crystal Gems running around, messing with my plans, destroying my things. Looks like I've got you just where I want you. How does it feel to be so easily outsmarted, you clods?!" Suddenly Stevie starts snickering a little. Peridot raises an eyebrow at him. "Why are you laughing?"

Stevie sighs as he wipes a tear from his eye. "Sorry, I just can't take it seriously anymore. Hearing it from you now is cute."

Peridot growled and bared her teeth. "I am not cute! That's it." She goes off screen and presses a button, activating the security system. A group of lasers appear from the moss on the walls. They begin to charge and get ready to fire on the gems. "Haha, yes! They work!" Peridot prepares to fire upon them. Right when the lasers are about to shoot, Stevie pulls out a giant shield to protect everyone 

They all retreat under the shield for safety. Everything comes to a standstill while they figure out what to do next. Stevie starts straining from all the pressure on him. "Uh guys, I can't do this forever!" Steven then spots a passageway in the distance. Soon they all run to it and hide. When the coast is clear, Stevie puts the shield back down. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees and sweat dripping down his forehead 

Steven takes a step forward when suddenly a spike appears from the ground, nearly hitting him. He shouts in surprise and immediately backs up. Soon spikes start shooting out in all directions. The gems start dodging and running down the hall. Stevie picks up Steven and sprints closely behind the rest. He holds Steven tight while the boy shakes from fear. They eventually reach the end of the hallway. Steven grips Stevie's jacket tightly and continues to shake. Stevie rubs his back to provide comfort. "It's okay buddy." He gently whispers as he sets him back down

A hologram of Peridot presents itself in front of them. It's standing with its arms crossed. Pearl mistakens it for the real Peridot and begins charging at the hologram. Garnet shouts at her but it's no use. Pearl was already mid-stab with her spear towards the hologram. When she figured out what was going on, her body fills with anger. In a useless attempt, she begins to uncontrollably slash at the holograph. Eventually she tires herself out, panting heavily. Garnet steps up to intervene. "Pearl, stop. That isn't helping."

She closes her eyes and hangs her head down low. "I have to do something. I can't believe I walked us right into Peridot's trap. This is all my-" Before she had a chance to finish, the ground started shaking and soon collapsed under them. Garnet, Pearl, and Steven began falling through the floor 

Amethyst pulled out one of her whips and wrapped it around Steven's waist, catching him mid-air. "Th-Thanks Amethyst!" He gasps and looks down below him. "Garnet! Pearl! Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine!" Garnet reassures him. Suddenly the ground closes back up, trapping Garnet and Pearl inside. The walls start moving in closer and closer, planning to crush the two gems inside until there's nothing left. They try pushing back on the concrete walls with all their force. But it just keeps on moving forward

A giant monitor displays what's going on so Amethyst, Steven, and Stevie see. They all try to figure out what to do next when Pearl suddenly speaks up. "Garnet...I'm sorry! Things weren't supposed to turn out this way."

Garnet punches the wall one more time. "We'll get out of here somehow."

Pearl sighs. "That's not what I mean. I really wanted to catch Peridot to make up for what I did. I wanted to prove to you that everything could go back to normal." Her voice was filled with sorrow and regret 

Garnet then puts away her gauntlets. "Catching Peridot won't make things go back to normal. This isn't about Peridot." She's had enough of Pearl's antics. All she wanted to do was get out of the chamber and nothing else

The two then press their backs against the opposing walls as Pearl begins panting. "Please! Tell me! How can I make you forgive me?!" She cried out so desperately 

"You can't! You lied to me! You need to learn that there are consequences to your actions!" Garnet continued to push back

"I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself!" Pearl tried so hard to make her understand her point of view but it was no use

Garnet kicks the wall that Pearl is pushing against. "I don't want to hear your excuses!" She's getting angrier by the minute 

Pearl begins tearing up. "But it's true! No matter how hard I try to be strong like you...I'm just a pearl." She starts breaking down. "I'm useless on my own. I need someone to tell me what to do." A string of tears roll down her face. Despite appearing confident on the outside, she's always had a very low opinion of herself. She felt broken. Like a part of her was missing. Hence why relying on Sardonyx to fill that hole in her heart

Outside the chamber, Stevie managed to pull out a hexagonal shield and stop the mechanism controlling the walls inside, flinging the shield like a frisbee. Amethyst and Steven merely watch in awe. He tries his best to hold it together but there's not much time left

The gems inside notice the walls have stopped moving and continue their conversation. "When we fuse, I can feel what it's like to be you. Confident and secure and complete. You're perfect. You're the perfect relationship. You're always together. I just...I wanted to be a part of that." Pearl hugs herself 

"You're wrong. I'm not as strong as you think. I fell apart. Ruby and Sapphire were in turmoil over how you deceived me. I came undone. It's not easy being in control. I have weaknesses too. But I choose not to let them consume me. I struggle to stay strong because I know the impact I have on everyone. Please understand Pearl. You have an impact too. There are times when I look up to _you_ for strength. You are your own gem. _You_ control your destiny. Not me, not Rose, not Steven. But you must choose to be strong, so we can move forward. So I can trust you again." She looked Pearl directly in the eyes

Pearl nodded affirmatively with a determined look on her face. "...I understand. I can't give up anymore." She reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes

Meanwhile, Stevie struggles to stay upright with the hexagonal shield still in play. Sweat is beading down his forehead. Moments later, he loses his grip and collapses on the ground. He pants and drops down to his knees. They all start panicking once the gears begin turning again

The two gems notice this and quickly think of a way out. "Pearl, there's only one way out of this."

Pearl nodded. "Only if you're okay with it." Once they reached an agreement, they grabbed each other's hand and morphed into a bright light. While the rest were trying to figure out what to do, Sardonyx had already appeared drilling a hole through the floor. They yet again unfuse and the two gems look at each other, reaching a mutual understanding of one another

Meanwhile, Stevie is still panting from exerting himself so much. Steven ran up to him to check on him. "Stevie, are you okay?"

Out of breath, he nodded. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Let's...keep going." He half hazardly made his way to his feet and wiped the sweat off his face

A moment later, they all made their way to the room that Peridot is hiding in. They bust down the door, startling the gem in question. With newfound confidence, Garnet announced their presence. "Surrender Peridot! You have nowhere to run."

"The Crystal Gems are gonna get you!." Steven proudly boasted

Peridot readies her blaster and aims it toward the ceiling, making a hole for her to escape. She then uses her helicopter fingers to fly up and make her exit. "Well I'd love to stick around and watch another one of your pathetic attempts to capture me, but I guess I'm just too smart for the likes of you lumpy clumpy clods!" As she continues to laugh, Steven suddenly jumps up and grabs her foot. She tries to shake him off but to no avail. The rest follow suit and grab ahold of Steven

Except for Stevie, who jumps in the air and spins around, flinging his shield at the gem. The impact was so strong that it caused her to poof right there. The gemstone, along with Steven and her body parts, fell to the ground. Steven cheered as he held up the foot he was still holding

Stevie walked up and bubbled Peridot, sending her to the temple. "Sorry Peridot. You'll understand soon." He looked out in the distance, thinking about what he had said to her before he traveled back. He very much regretted the way he treated her and would do anything to make it up to her. Stevie hung his head down and sighed

Pearl and Garnet walked up to him, each placing a hand on his shoulder. Then Steven came up next to him and grabbed his hand, looking up at him and smiling. Feeling a sense of relief, Pearl spoke up. "We got her."

Stevie nodded. "Yeah..." Although he couldn't help but feel like something was nagging at him. He couldn't quite place it. Maybe he'd remember later. Now was time for the hard part. Convincing Peridot to be on their side. But in this moment, the job was done


	14. Nightmare Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven, Connie, and Stevie try to get Rose's sword back from Priyanka. All the while Stevie hides from her

After Peridot was captured and bubbled away, everything seemed to finally go back to normal. There was no more fighting among the gems and everyone was actually getting along. There was peace in the beach house. Not much happened during the rest of the week. Steven got to spend more time training with Stevie while Pearl trained Connie. He was getting stronger and stronger every day. He was making excellent progress. And Stevie could not be more proud of him

One day after training, Steven decided to take Connie home by himself on Lion. It was much faster this way after a long day. The two warped in front of Connie's house, laughing about something together. When Lion came to a stop, Connie dismounted him and put on her old glasses. "Well, time to assume my secret identity." She reaches down and pets Lion on the head, which he purrs in response to

"Same time next week for sword training?" Steven asks with a smile on his face

"Yeah. It's a shame I can't practice more at home." Connie's parents have no idea she's doing something like this. They have no clue about gem stuff or sword fighting or the fact that time travel apparently exists. And she can never tell them. It's obvious they'd freak out over all of it. If they ever did find out then there's a possibility they'd take her away from Steven. She can't risk having that happen. They vowed to be by each other's side

"Wait a sec." Steven jumped off of Lion and reached inside his pink mane. What he pulled out of it was Rose's sword. He got down on one knee and presented the sword to Connie. He started speaking in a medieval accent. "Here ethhh. You can borrow ethhh my mother's sword ethhh."

Connie gasped at his gesture. She was surprised he would just willingly hand over the sword. "Steven! That's so nice! If grammatically incorrect." She starts speaking in a medieval accent as well. "But, thou can't just givest me thine mother's sword." She gestures dramatically for effect

"Why not ethhh?"

Connie pulls out her house key and begins to unlock the front door. "Because it's really important ethhh." She opens the door and the two walk inside

"That's exactly why you should have ethhh it. You can have all week to practice ethhh withhh it ethhhhh."

Connie couldn't help but laugh at her best friend's silliness. "Thhhhhhhhhank you!"

Steven hands her the pink sword. "We gotta be ready if we have to fight Malachite or those creepy gem fusion experiments." He shivers at the mere thought of them. His first encounter with the experiments was not a pleasant one. It was just him and Garnet, alone. Stevie was helping the others with catching Peridot at the time. So he couldn't be there. But now he immensely regrets not being there for Steven. As it was not a pretty sight. Shards of gems forced together in a horrendous, monstrous fusion. That was how Homeworld saw it. Garnet nearly fell apart at the sight of them. She couldn't stand to look at the messed up fusion. It went against her entire being. As a result, Steven was horrified to see something like that unfold before his eyes. He was traumatized to say the least. Not only by the experiments themselves but by seeing one of his mother figures almost come undone because of it. That is something that will always haunt him

Connie's voice snaps him out of his daze. "Steven? Are you alright?"

He flinches and shakes his head. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just lost in thought I guess." Steven chuckled 

"Well okay. Anyway, I'll make sure nothing happens to the sword." As soon as she said those words, there was the sound of a door opening coming from outside. "That's the garage door. Mom's home! We have to hide the sword. There's no way mom would let me have this in the house."

Steven pokes his head out the door and calls for Lion. Only to find that he was gone without a trace. He turns back towards Connie. "He's walked off! I'll call Stevie." Steven takes out his phone and begins to dial when Connie stops him

"There's no time! We have to figure something else out." They both franticly look around until Connie gets an idea. She places the sword back in its scabbard and puts it in a basket near the front door. They each put clothes on it to make it seem like a coat rack. Then they race to the couch and try to act natural. When Priyanka walks in, Connie is seen playing the violin while Steven anxiously sits there. "Hi mom. Just finishing my 6 o'clock violin practice."

"You should have finished that 5 minutes ago. You're late for your 7 o'clock study hour. Hello Steven." She says as she walks to the 'coat rack'

"Hi Dr. Maheswaran." Steven says, his voice cracking as he does so

"How are you?"

"Sitting!" _Nailed it._ Connie internally facepalms at that remark

Priyanka sighs. "I had a rough day at work and I'm not in the mood for any more surprises."

"What happened at work?" Connie questions

Priyanka takes off her coat and hangs it on the 'coat rack'. "There was a really strange case at the hospital today. Straight out of a nightmare." Connie and Steven stare at her in curiosity and slight horror. "Oh don't worry, the rules of doctor-patient confidentiality keep me from sharing the graphic details. Hang on a moment, when did we get a coat rack?" She takes her coat back off the 'coat rack'

Connie places both hands on her face. "Oh no." She knew it was a longshot but what else could they do. Now she's gonna pay the price 

Priyanka proceeds to take the sword out of the basket and glare at it in shock and horror. "A SWORD?! Connie where did you get this?!" Her eyes were practically popping out of her skull

Steven was about to justify it when Connie interrupts him. "I found it! I just...found it outside and wanted to show it to Steven." Steven didn't have any words and simply smiled awkwardly and shrugged 

"How could you possibly think this is okay?! Do you know how many children I see every day who've cut their faces off playing with swords?!

"I-" Connie was about to say something when her mother suddenly interrupted her

"NONE! Because they all have parents who love them. And who don't let them play around with deadly weapons like some sorta gang member! No playing with swords! Under any circumstances." Her phone started to ring in that moment. She takes it out of her pocket and holds it up to her ear. "This is Dr. Maheswaran. Yes, calm down Stromberg. Another one? Alright, I'll be right there." She hangs up and puts it back and turns back towards Connie. "I have to go to the hospital." She places the sword in her duffle bag. "I'll have a talk with your father to calculate just how grounded you are. And we're using the abacus!" Priyanka turns and walks out the door

Connie sighs and looks down at her feet. "I hate that abacus. Steven, I'm so sorry she took your mother's sword." She felt incredibly guilty for what had transpired. She got one of Steven's only keepsakes from his mother taken away and her only sword. She was determined to get it back, no matter what

"Maybe she'll change her mind." Steven suggests

"She never ever changes her mind. We'll just have to get it back ourselves. But how?" They both thought about it for a moment, hands up to their chins. They needed to come up with a plan and fast. Or else they'll never get the sword back

That's when Steven got an idea. "We can just sneak into the hospital. And I know just the person that can help us." He pulled out his phone and clicked on a contact. "Stevie, Dr. Maheswaran took mom's sword and we need help getting it back...Okay." He hangs up. "He's on his way." They patiently awaited Stevie's arrival 

* * *

About 10 minutes later, Stevie pulled up to the house in Greg's van. He honked the horn to let them know he was there. The kids immediately got up from the couch and ran outside. "Get in!" Stevie shouted. They wasted no time and piled into the backseat. Once they were in securely, Stevie pressed his foot on the gas petal and raced to the hospital 

"You borrowed the van?" Steven asked

"Well I don't have my car yet and it would've taken too long to purchase it so, I asked dad. Now hang on." He rapidly turned the steering wheel to make a tight turn, causing everything to slide around in the car including the two kids. "Why didn't you just use Lion to get there?"

"He ran off! We can't find him." Typical of Lion to go off and do his own thing, Stevie thought. Some things really never change

"We'll look for him later. One thing at a time." After some time, they all finally arrived at the hospital. Stevie parked it somewhere hidden and they all got out. "Okay, here's the plan. We'll sneak in through the window, find the sword, and leave."

Connie tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's gonna work?"

"We won't know until we try. Now let's go." The kids each stand on one side of him, grabbing a hand. Everyone was a bit scared and anxious but tried not to show it. It was late at night and here they were about to walk into a creepy hospital. Emotions were running high to say the least. But none of them had a choice in the matter. So they faced it head on. The trio walked along the edge of the parking lot, evading the security outside. Once they reached the back of the building, Stevie silently and carefully opened the window. He gave the kids a boost and then crawled in himself 

They were all greeted by a long dark hallway. The air felt eerie, like something else was going on. "This is really scary." Steven commented, shivering

"They turn the lights down after dinner." Connie tried to assure him it was normal but even she couldn't deny how creepy it all looked

"C'mon." Stevie whispered. They continued to make their way down the corridor, turning around every corner. Until finally they reached the room Connie's mom was in. Stevie hid back behind a wall. "You two go on ahead. If she sees me it'll just cause more trouble. I believe in you." He smiled softly and gave them a thumbs up

The kids nodded and made their way to the door. They peeked inside through a window. What they saw was Dr. Maheswaran and someone, or _something,_ under a blanket. It can be heard moaning and breathing loudly. Dr. Maheswaran is still seen on the phone. "Where did you say you found them? The side of the road?...I'm not sure just yet. I haven't had a look for myself." She walks towards the patient and lifts up the blanket. "Wh- it doesn't look like a car accident...You didn't find an ID?" She covers the patient back up. "Listen, I'll call you back when or if I have an answer for you. Goodbye." Dr. Maheswaran hangs up the phone and takes out her stethoscope to listen for a pulse

"What is she doing?" Steven asks Connie

"She's probably checking their vitals. Haven't you been to a hospital before?" Steven merely shakes his head. "Lucky." Connie then gasps and points at something in the far corner of the room. "Steven, look." He follows her finger and sees the sword sitting in a duffle bag

Meanwhile the patient is still jumping and making raspy breathing noises. Dr. Maheswaran keeps trying to find a pulse somewhere on their body. After trying a few different areas, she takes out the stethoscope and places a hand on her chin. "Hmm, no heartbeat. Ugh, cheap hospital budgets." She walks to the trash can, throws away the stethoscope, then leaves the room

Steven and Connie take this opportunity to sneak into the room and grab the bag. They crouch down and carefully make their way to the corner of the room, sometimes getting spooked by the patient's sudden movements. Once they reach it, each grab a side of the bag and attempt to leave the room. Suddenly Dr. Maheswaran comes back with a new stethoscope in hand. She is taken aback and drops it on the ground. "Connie?! How did you even-?" She snatches the bag from the kids. "What are you doing with this?! I made a rule, no swords under any circumstances."

"But mom-" Suddenly a noise can be heard from outside. The three of them go out to investigate

Dr. Maheswaran takes out a small flashlight and shines it in the direction of the noise. A towering figure is revealed in the light. She recognizes them as one of her 'patients'. "You! What are you doing out of bed?"

Steven has to think about it for a moment but soon realizes that the 'patient' is actually a gem experiment. His heart drops to the pit of his stomach as his eyes widen in horror. "That's not a patient." He says in a shaky voice. His frame trembling in fear

The gem experiment starts charging at the group. They quickly run back inside the room and shut the door. Dr. Maheswaran blocks the door while the mutant begins to pound on it. "I don't know what's going on here but I'm going to get to the bottom of it." Stevie takes notice of what's going on and gets ready. His body flashes pink as he summons his shield. He charges at the mutant, slamming it into a nearby wall and poofing it. He then picks up the shards and bubbles them. Dr. Maheswaran barely caught a streak of pink flying through the air. She notices the experiment had stopped and lets go of the door. "It's gone. What happened?"

Connie runs up to her mom. "That doesn't matter. Right now I really, really, really need that sword!"

She clutches the back tighter. "Connie, now is not the time."

"Now is the perfect time, mom!" Connie jumps up, attempting to reach the sword from her mom's grasp. Unfortunately Dr. Maheswaran is too tall for her daughter 

"What has gotten into you?! You know I never go back on a rule, young lady."

Connie stomps her foot. "There has to be some exceptions! I'm not just some...rule-driven robot!" She tries reaching the sword once again but to no avail. Suddenly the other gem mutant bursts out from under the blanket and grabs ahold of Connie, dragging her away. "Mom!!" She cries out for help and struggles to get loose

Steven sees this and automatically summons his shield. "I'll save you!" He rams into the experiment with his full body, freeing Connie. "Keep your hands off my Connie!" He pushes it up against a wall with all his might. "Go! I got this." Steven shouted back

Connie couldn't believe what he was doing. Why was he willing to stay behind and fight by himself? That's not how they did things. They were a team. They vowed to fight by each other's side. "No, I'm not leaving you!" She refused to let him be alone in this situation 

"Just go!!" Steven looked over his shoulder and gritted his teeth. His eyes turned pink for a few seconds and had diamond pupils. Connie silently gasped as her eyes widened at what she saw. The next thing she knew, he blinked and they went back to normal. She wasn't sure what to make of it so she simply went along with what Steven said. Connie took her mom by the hand and pulled her out of the room

As Steven continued to struggle with the gem mutant, Stevie came up from behind him and threw his shield like a frisbee. It the experiment square on the head, causing them to be confused for a bit. Steven dropped his shield and looked back to see Stevie standing in the doorway. Stevie ran up to him. "Go! I got this." Steven nodded with a determined look on his face and went to follow Connie. Stevie pushed his shield deeper into the flesh of the experiment. Eventually it poofed and he bubbled the shards

Steven finally caught up to Connie and Dr. Maheswaran. "What happened to that mutant?" Connie asked as they were running 

"Don't worry about that. Someone took care of it." Steven gave her a wink and she immediately knew what he meant. As they turned a corner, they ended up running into another mutant. They went to turn around and found another one behind them. "There's more? How many gem mutants are there?!" Everyone began panicking and didn't know what to do. All were frozen with fear

Suddenly Stevie came running down the hall. He ducked and slid under one of the mutants to reach the group. When he came to a stop, he put up the bubble to protect them. Dr. Maheswaran gasped at what she just witnessed. "There's two of you?!"

Stevie awkwardly chuckled. "Hi Dr. Maheswaran." His voice wavered a bit

"What is going on?!" It was too much for her to process right now

Connie spoke up. "I'll explain later. Please mom, I know how to do this!" She tried reaching for the sword once again.

Dr. Maheswaran pulled just out of her reach. "No, you don't!"

With the fear starting to fade a little bit, Steven spoke up in her defense. "Ahhh yes she does! She's been training. She hasn't been playing around with that sword. She's been taking classes learning how to use it right! Even though she's always studying, or practicing tennis, or doing her homework, she still works really hard to be a good sword fighter."

She didn't want to believe what he was saying. She was confident that she knows her daughter better than this. She's always been so sure about that. "No. No, no, no I know my daughter! I know what she's doing every second of the day. All her activities, all her internets. I know she's definitely not some sword fighting hooligan!"

At this point, Connie has had enough. She was so tired of her mom acting like she knows her. She had no idea what Connie was actually doing. Connie clenched her fists and looked her mom directly in the eyes. "You don't know me at all! You still haven't even noticed my glasses!" She shouted

Dr. Maheswaran had a concerned look on her face. "What's wrong with your glasses?"

She takes them off her face and sticks a hand through the frame. "They don't have lenses anymore! I haven't needed actual glasses for almost a year now!"

"Your eyesight just magically got better?!

Steven shrugged off to the side and awkwardly smiled. While Connie announced it. "Yes!! I've been dealing with magic and monsters and things like these since I met Steven. That's why I need you to believe I know what to do here!" She practically pleaded to her mother to let her do this. There was a moment of silence when everyone was waiting for her to answer 

Dr. Maheswaran didn't know what to say at this point. She wanted to trust her daughter but wasn't sure if that's the best thing for her. She just wants to keep her safe. Two sides of her were screaming at each other and she didn't know which one to listen to. Eventually she was able to muster something out. "But..." That's all she could get out

Connie got increasingly frustrated with her and began to get impatient. "Ugh there's no time for this!" She suddenly pulls the sword out of the scabbard and gets in a fighting stance

Stevie makes eye contact with the two kids. "You guys ready?" Steven nods

"Drop the bubble." Connie says confidently. Stevie pops the bubble outwards, blowing back the mutants. They slam onto the floor but quickly recover. One starts charging at Dr. Maheswaran but Connie jumps in front and slices it in half with the sword. Meanwhile Steven is fighting the other gem experiment. He pushes it back with his shield. He then notices Connie behind him and lifts up his shield, signaling for her to jump on it. She leaps into the air, thanks to Steven giving her that boost, and does a flip while slicing the gem mutant horizontally. When all is said and done, Stevie steps up to bubble the shards and send them to the temple

As the two kids smile back at each other, Dr. Maheswaran is left completely speechless. She didn't think her daughter was ever capable of something like that. But she is. And she didn't know how to react. She wasn't sure whether to be happy, angry, or upset. None of it was making sense to her. Eventually she decided to have everyone return home as she tried to wrap her mind about this. "Let's...get out of here." She quietly said and turned around. The rest followed closely behind her. They all walked back out into the parking lot as Dr. Maheswaran contemplated. "So that's why it had no pulse. Gem experiments. This is what you've been doing? Training to fight these things?" They came to a stop just outside the entrance of the hospital 

Connie gave the sword back to Steven and turned to face her mother. "Mom, I'm really sorry about lying to you. It started off as a tiny secret, and then I felt like if I didn't hide it, you wouldn't let me see Steven ever again."

"Is that how you feel? Are we too controlling?"

Connie shrugged. "...Maybe."

Dr. Maheswaran put a hand on her chest. "I just wanted to be a good mother. I-I just wanted to protect you."

"I can protect myself now."

She sighs and crouches down to Connie's level, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Okay, we'll pull back on the rules and I'll try to keep an open mind about this. And...those two." She points at the boys standing off to the side. "It scares me that you can't talk to me. I need to know what's happening in your life. I need to step in when you're in over your head. Will you just promise me you'll stop all this lying?"

Connie smiles softly. "That's a rule." The two then embrace each other 

Steven and Stevie look onward at the the two from a distance. Steven's happy smile shifts into a sorrowful smile as he looks down at the sword and holds it tight. Stevie continues looking forward and places a hand on Steven's shoulder. He turns pink for a moment as an unknown emotion fills him. Was it anger? Sadness? Maybe somewhere in between? He wasn't sure. The next thing he knew was his vision began to blur as his eyes filled up with tears. After taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip on Steven's shoulder. "C'mon buddy, let's go."

Steven looks up at him then back down to the ground as he was being ushered along


End file.
